A massive fire broke out in the cargo area of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka on Friday afternoon (October 18), forcing the temporary suspension of flight operations.
According to officials, a combined force of over 30 firefighting units was deployed to battle the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the airport.
The fire originated in the cargo village near Gate No. 8, and heavy smoke was seen billowing from the area shortly after the incident began.
Multi-agency firefighting operation underway
The airport’s own fire unit and the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) fire unit were the first responders to the emergency.
Later, the Inter-Services Public Relation Directorate (ISPR) confirmed that the firefighting operation was a multi-agency effort.
“Bangladesh Fire Service, two fire units from the Bangladesh Air Force, and the Bangladesh Civil Aviation are working to extinguish the fire that occurred in the cargo section of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport,” ISPR said in a statement.
ISPR also confirmed the Bangladesh Navy later joined the operation to bring the blaze under control.
According to FSCD official Talha Bin Jashim, the fire service received the alert at 2:30 PM.
Twenty fire units were actively engaged in dousing the blaze as of the time of reporting, while additional units were en route to the site.
Airport authorities suspended flight operations as a precautionary measure to ensure passenger and staff safety. No casualties have been reported so far.
Flights expected to resume after fire is contained
The Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority said flight operations would resume once the fire is fully controlled and safety checks are completed.
An investigation will be launched to determine the cause of the fire and assess any damage to the cargo infrastructure.
“Our top priority is passenger safety. We are working with all emergency units to bring the situation under control quickly,” an airport spokesperson said.
