A 57-year-old man has been arrested after a CS spray incident triggered mass hysteria and the evacuation of hundreds of passengers from Heathrow Airport's Terminal 4. The suspect was detained on suspicion of possession of a firearm and causing a public nuisance following the Monday evening incident.
Emergency services recovered a canister believed to contain CS spray during a thorough search of the airport. The Metropolitan Police said the substance caused a reaction among people within the terminal, leading to what authorities described as "mass hysteria".
Twenty-one people required medical treatment following exposure to the spray, with one person taken to hospital while the others were discharged at the scene. London Ambulance Service confirmed none of the injuries were life-threatening or life-changing.
Investigation details
Police were called to Terminal 4 at 4:56pm on Monday September 8 to reports of a potential hazardous materials incident. Specialist officers attended alongside London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service to conduct the search operation.
The suspect remains in police custody and officers confirmed the incident is not being treated as terrorism-related. Emergency personnel wore protective suits as a precautionary measure during the response operation.
Airport response
Terminal 4's check-in area was evacuated as a precaution while firefighters conducted their operations. London Fire Brigade deployed specialist crews to assess the scene but found no elevated levels of hazardous materials.
A Heathrow Airport spokesperson confirmed emergency services deemed Terminal 4 safe to reopen. The airport apologised for the disruption and said safety and security of passengers and colleagues remained the top priority.
The incident occurred during an already challenging day for London transport, with Underground strikes affecting travel links across the capital.
Sources used: "GBNews", "Daily Mail", "Independent", "Evening Standard", "BBC" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
