Two men have been formally charged by authorities following a serious incident that occurred at London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday, which resulted in 21 people receiving medical attention. The charges were announced by staff at HM Courts and Tribunal Service. Tyrone Richards, 31, and Anton Clarke-Butcher, 24, have each been charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of administering a noxious substance. The incident took place at Terminal 3 and caused substantial disruption to passengers arriving at and departing from the airport premises, reports The WP Times with reference to Sky News.
The Metropolitan Police were first alerted to the scene at 8:11 am on Sunday morning, responding to reports of multiple assaults within a multi-storey car park located at Terminal 3. Police swiftly moved to secure the area and investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged robberies and the deployment of the harmful substance.
Emergency medical services from the London Ambulance Service rapidly arrived to manage the situation. They provided on-site treatment to a total of 21 individuals affected by the incident. This group included a three-year-old girl. Out of the victims treated, five people required further medical care and were subsequently transported to a hospital. Fortunately, the injuries sustained by the victims are not considered to be life-changing or life-threatening.
While the incident did not directly impact the airport's flight schedules, it caused significant inconvenience and delays for passengers navigating the ground transport connections. Several people reported being forced to endure waits of up to three hours for the shuttle bus service running to the long-stay car park—a route that typically operates every 15 minutes.
Further disruption was also observed across the local transport network. Delays were reported on the Elizabeth and Piccadilly underground lines, leading to long queues forming at various stations. Additionally, there was congestion on the approach roads to the M4 motorway, where police were conducting vehicle searches as part of their investigation into the incident.
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