LONDON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- London's Heathrow Airport said on Wednesday operations have resumed after the control tower was briefly evacuated due to a fire alarm earlier the afternoon.
"Heathrow experienced a fire alarm activation that impacted the operation of the airfield for a short while. Emergency services responded using our regular safety procedures, and our operations have resumed," the airport announced on its Twitter account.
"We apologise for any inconvenience that this has caused," it added.
Images on social media websites earlier showed smoke billowing at the Heathrow airfield. Following the fire alarm, flights were forced to divert Gatwick and Stansted airports, while others had to return to their original destinations after take-off.
More details of the fire alarm were not immediately known.
