Flights suspended at Dhaka airport due to fire: media reports

Reuters: A fire broke out in the cargo section of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Saturday, forcing the suspension of all flights, local newspaper The Daily Star reported.

Citing Talha Bin Zasim, an officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Media Cell, 36 firefighting units are already working to douse the flames, the report added.

“All our aircraft are confirmed safe. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops,” the newspaper reported, citing a spokesperson for the airport.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Daily Star, citing fire service sources, reported that the fire erupted in the cargo section near Gate 8 of the airport around 2:30pm local time (1:30pm PKT).

“Meanwhile, according to the [Bangladeshi] Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh Fire Service, Bangladesh Navy, and two fire units of the Bangladesh Air Force are working to extinguish the fire,” the report read, adding that two platoons from the Bangladesh Border Guard were also involved in firefighting efforts.

Sources at Dhaka Airport told The Daily Star that at least five flights scheduled to land in Dhaka were diverted to Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet.

“The airfield at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka will remain closed until 6pm today,” the report read quoting Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil, the public relations officer at Shah Amanat International Airport.

Due to the closure, two flights operated by US-Bangla Airlines and two by Biman Bangladesh Airlines were diverted to Shah Amanat airport, The Daily Star reported. With the latest diversions, a total of eight domestic and international flights landed at Shah Amanat airport.

The newspaper added that authorities said the diverted flights will return to Dhaka once the situation normalises, as outbound passengers were left waiting at Hazrat Shahjalal due to the suspension of flight operations.