A large blaze broke out in the cargo section of Bangladesh’s main airport, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, on Saturday afternoon. The fire stopped all flight operations until emergency teams could control the flames.
Firefighters from more than 30 units rushed to gate 8’s cargo village, the site of the incident. “All our aircraft are confirmed safe,” said an airport spokesperson quoted by The Daily Star. “We’ll give updates as the situation evolves.”
The Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority, the Bangladesh Fire Service, the Navy, and two units from the Air Force joined the effort. Two Border Guard Bangladesh platoons also assisted on site. According to the Inter‑Services Public Relations (ISPR) of the armed forces, the blaze threatened cargo that included international courier goods and a local chemical warehouse.
At least five scheduled flights that were due to land in Dhaka were diverted. Two of them were rerouted to Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram, and another to Osmani International Airport in Sylhet. Passengers and crew were kept briefed as the airport cleared the way for the stuck planes.
Nasir Uddin, director of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association, told The Business Standard that authorities were assessing cargo damage. He added that the area where courier goods were stored burned intensely and the chemical warehouse reportedly caught fire as well.
This incident follows a string of serious fires across Bangladesh. Earlier this week, a building that housed a chemical godown and a garment factory in Mirpur’s Shialbari area claimed 16 lives and injured several people. A factory fire in Chattogram’s Export Processing Zone took 17 hours and required 25 units before being brought under control.
The series of fires has drawn attention to safety standards and emergency preparedness in Bangladesh’s key commercial centers, especially the nation’s busiest airports.
Source: ianslive
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
