Dhaka: A massive fire broke out on Saturday afternoon at the cargo section of Bangladesh’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, forcing the suspension of all flight operations and triggering a large-scale emergency response, local media reported.
According to Talha Bin Zasim, an officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Media Cell, the blaze erupted at the cargo village near Gate No. 8 of the airport. At least 36 firefighting units have been deployed to contain the flames.
“All our aircraft are confirmed safe. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops,” a spokesperson for the airport told The Daily Star, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, stated that personnel from the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority, Fire Service, Navy, and two Air Force fire units are working together to extinguish the fire. Two platoons from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have also joined the rescue efforts.
Citing sources at Dhaka airport, The Daily Star reported that at least five incoming flights were diverted to Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet.
Nasir Uddin, director of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association, told The Business Standard that the extent of cargo damage is still being assessed. “We have learned that the area where international courier service goods were stored has been severely damaged. There was also a chemical warehouse in that area, and we have heard that it has also caught fire,” he said.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over Bangladesh’s fire safety standards, following several recent industrial blazes in Dhaka and Chattogram.
Earlier this week, at least 16 people were killed and several others were injured after a fire broke out in a building housing a chemical warehouse and a garment factory in the Shialbari area of Mirpur, Dhaka. Meanwhile, another fire at a factory in Chattogram’s Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) on Thursday took 17 hours and 25 firefighting units to bring under control.
With IANS inputs