Blazing car rammed into Glasgow Airport
LONDON, England (CNN) -- The United Kingdom raised its terrorism threat level to critical, the highest level possible, Saturday after a vehicle plowed into the terminal building at Scotland's busiest airport and burst into flames.
Police at the highest levels are assuming the fiery incident in Glasgow was a terrorist attack, CNN has learned.
Authorities assume the incident is linked to the discovery Friday in London of two explosives-filled cars. They could not yet say whether the same people were involved or whether the Glasgow incident was the work of copycats.
Police and witnesses in Glasgow described an SUV-style vehicle in flames being driven at full speed toward the building.
Two people were arrested at the scene, police said.
It was not immediately clear whether there were any injuries, although unconfirmed witness reports described a man on fire at the scene.
Witness Jackie Kennedy said a man got out of the car, went to the back and pulled out a can of fuel, which he poured on himself and ignited.
"The guy was in flames and seemed to be enjoying himself," Kennedy said.
Images showed black smoke and flames rising from the vehicle just outside the building.
CNN has learned that officials are considering raising the national threat level to its highest level, critical. It currently stands at severe.
Witnesses said the car crashed into security barriers protecting an entrance to the airport's international arrivals terminal.
Jim Manson said he saw a car "with a couple of guys in it trying to push their way into the airport terminal building."
The vehicle "suddenly caught fire" as one of the two -- himself on fire -- tried to open up the back of the car, Manson told British television.
There was then a mini-explosion and the front of the terminal appeared to catch fire.
"Everyone just ran," Manson said. "We're absolutely terrified, you can imagine. The first thing on all our minds was: Is there an accident? Is there a terrorist attack?"
A witness told Sky News that a man had fled from the car as it struck the building and been immediately wrestled to the ground by police.
"The jeep is completely on fire and it exploded not long after. It exploded at the entrance to the terminal," witness Stephen Clarkson told the BBC.
"It may have been an explosion of petrol in the tank because it was not a massive explosion."
Airport authorities said the airport, Scotland's busiest, had been evacuated and all flights suspended.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown led a meeting of top intelligence officers, police and senior officials in COBRA, the government's crisis committee, his office said.
After the meeting, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said authorities were "doing all we can to protect the public."
"The police are clear that the most important contribution that the public can make is to carry on reporting anything suspicious and to be vigilant, and I'd ask them to do that," said Smith, the government's top law-and-order official. "But I must stress that we mustn't let the threat of terror stop us from getting on with our lives."
source