The fire at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s (HSIA) Cargo Village has now spread to the Import Cargo Complex, officials confirmed Saturday afternoon.
As the situation escalates, the Bangladesh Army has been deployed to assist in emergency operations.
Military and Bangladesh Air Force ambulances have transported injured individuals to hospitals.
Among them, one person reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest and was given CPR before being transferred to Combined Military Hospital (CMH), according to Dr Shahriar, speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh.
Another individual, critically injured, was also sent to CMH moments ago. Besides, two more individuals have been taken to the hospital in Bangladesh Air Force ambulances.
A total of 36 firefighting units are currently engaged in battling the blaze. In an effort to control the fire in hard-to-reach zones, the Fire Service has deployed its LUF 60 robotic system, which is designed for high-risk firefighting operations.
Military firefighting equipment has also been activated on-site as part of a coordinated response.
Meanwhile, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin has arrived at the scene to assess the situation firsthand.
Flights diverted to Chittagong, Sylhet
At least eight incoming flights from various airlines have been diverted to Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, according to sources at HSIA in Dhaka.
Among those, so far, three international flights have landed in Sylhet airport.
All international flights scheduled to land at Dhaka airport will be diverted to Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram until 6pm on Saturday, airport authorities confirmed.
Speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh at 5pm on Saturday, Md Ibrahim Khalil, public relations officer at Shah Amanat Airport, said, “Dhaka’s airfield will remain closed until 9pm. In the meantime, all international arrivals are being redirected to Chattogram.”
According to Khalil, four more international flights originally bound for Dhaka are now being diverted to Chattogram, with six additional flights expected to land there if the situation continues.
Earlier, two domestic flights from Chattogram to Dhaka were canceled, along with six international flights, including three US-Bangla Airlines flights from Bangkok, and one Air Arabia flight from the Middle East, which were rerouted to Chattogram instead.
All arriving passengers are currently being accommodated in the passenger lounge at Shah Amanat Airport.
“They will remain there until normal operations resume at Dhaka airport,” Khalil added.
Airport authorities stated that the diverted flights will be cleared to return to Dhaka once the situation is under control.
Meanwhile, all outbound passengers remain stranded at HSIA as flight operations continue to be suspended.
The fire was first reported around 2:15pm. Initial firefighting efforts were launched by airport fire services, followed by reinforcements from the Fire Service and Civil Defence.
The Director General of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, Brigadier General Md Jahed Kamal, is on site, personally overseeing the emergency response.
Fire Service Media Cell officer Talha Bin Jasim confirmed that the initial report of the fire came from Gate 8 of the airport’s cargo section, where stored goods had reportedly caught fire.
In addition to the Fire Service, the airport’s own fire unit, teams from the Bangladesh Air Force, and other relevant agencies responded swiftly and launched a coordinated firefighting operation.
Navy, Army join efforts
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Bangladesh Navy and Army have joined efforts to control the blaze, which erupted in the airport’s Cargo Village, an area designated for handling all types of goods transported by air.
Two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have joined the rescue operations
Officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) confirmed that all emergency protocols were activated immediately after the fire was detected.
“All relevant agencies are working in coordination to bring the situation under control,” a spokesperson said.
