Airport Cargo Village Fire Partially Contained, Flights Diverted

HSIA cargo village fire was brought under control partially.

A massive fire that broke out at the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon was brought under partial control after several hours of intense efforts by multiple agencies, officials said.

The blaze, which erupted around 2:15 pm in the import section of the Cargo Village, remained confined to the cargo area as emergency teams worked to prevent it from spreading further.

Confirming the development, Flight Lieutenant Md Masudul Hasan Masud, spokesperson for the airport’s Executive Director, said the fire was brought under partial control through coordinated efforts.

“Flight operations have been temporarily suspended. Further details will be shared later,” he added.

According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence, 37 units from 13 fire stations have been battling the flames since the fire started. Personnel from the Bangladesh Air Force, Navy, and Army also joined the firefighting operations, while two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed to assist in rescue and security efforts.

Fire Service Headquarters Media Cell official Tahla Bin Jasim said the cause of the blaze and the extent of the damage were yet to be determined.

As the situation unfolded, at least eight domestic and international flights were diverted to Chattogram Airport, including two flights each of US-Bangla Airlines and Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Several inbound international flights were rerouted to Chattogram and Kolkata for safety reasons, while a number of outbound flights remained grounded on the taxiway following the temporary suspension of operations.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that units from the Air Force, Navy, Fire Service and Civil Defence, and the Civil Aviation Authority were jointly engaged in extinguishing the fire.

Airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad said emergency teams were working in close coordination to manage the situation.

“We are dealing with an emergency. Please cooperate with us. Our airport and Air Force fire units are actively working to control the blaze. You will receive verified information soon,” he said in an audio message.

Officials confirmed that several aircraft parked near the cargo area were towed to safer zones as a precaution.

Airport authorities reiterated that passenger safety remains their top priority and that flight operations will resume fully once the fire is completely extinguished and safety inspections are complete.