Officials working inside the fire-ravaged Cargo Village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka said that the affected building stored flammable items like medicine pharmaceutical raw materials, garment supplies, passports, and key documents
Speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh, multiple staff members said the firefighters are struggling to control the fire, especially on the right wing of the Import Cargo Complex, where flammable goods are stored.
On Saturday morning, a shipment from South Korea arrived carrying cosmetics, fabrics, and electronic gadgets. “Each shipment weighs over 5 tons.
Everything is gone,” said Rabbi Hasan Babu, a local businessman whose goods were among the imports.
The presence of textiles, chemicals, pharmaceutical ingredients, and mobile electronics components has significantly complicated firefighting operations.
Notably, Bangladesh’s aviation security has earned high international recognition, with Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet receiving top marks in the latest security audit by the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT).
At least 25 members of the Ansar were injured in the incident, confirmed Md Ashikuzzaman, public relations officer of Ansar and VDP.
The were taken to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and Kurmitola General Hospital.
Emergency responders have now deployed three additional ambulances. Injured individuals are receiving oxygen support, CPR, and burn treatment, under the supervision of Dr Shahriar, who is coordinating initial medical care.
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.
Meanwhile, 37 firefighting units from 13 fire stations are currently at the scene, but the Fire Service has yet to issue an official statement regarding the cause or damage assessment.
So far, four workers inside the building have spoken to TIMES of Bangladesh, describing how they were working inside when the blaze rapidly spread.
