Staff Reporter:
A devastating fire was broke out at the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka yesterday afternoon was brought under control partially until 9pm.
Confirming the development, the airport’s Executive Director’s spokesperson Flight Lieutenant Md Ma-sudul Hasan Masud told media that the blaze was brought under control partially through the concerted efforts of all concerned.
All flight operations were temporarily suspended until 9pm.
According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence, a total of 37 units from 13 fire stations have been working to douse the flames at the airport’s Cargo Village since the fire broke out on Saturday after-noon.
Fire Service Headquarters Media Cell official Tahla Bin Jasim said the cause of the fire and the extent of damage could not be determined yet.
Two firefighting units from the Bangladesh Air Force, along with personnel from the Bangladesh Navy and Army, have also joined the operation.
Moreover, two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed to assist with rescue efforts.
So far, four additional international flights have been diverted to Chattogram Airport, including two flights of US-Bangla Airlines and two of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, bringing the total number of di-verted domestic and international flights to eight.
Meanwhile, several inbound flights to Dhaka have been rerouted to Chattogram and Kolkata for safety reasons, while a number of international departures remain on hold on the taxiway due to temporary suspension of operations.
According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters, the fire erupted around 2:15 pm in the import section of the Cargo Village.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that units from the Bangladesh Air Force, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence, and the Civil Aviation Authority joined efforts to extinguish the fire.
Airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad said emergency teams were working in co-ordination to control the situation.
“We are handling an emergency situation; please cooperate with us. Our airport fire service teams are working to control the fire at Shahjalal International Airport. Fire units from the Air Force and Civil Defence are also engaged. You will receive accurate information in due time,” he said in an audio mes-sage circulated to the media.
Officials said that as flames intensified, aircraft parked in nearby hangars were towed to safer locations.
The airport authorities assured that passenger safety remains the highest priority and that normal opera-tions will resume once the fire is fully contained and safety assessments are completed.
