Dhaka, 18 Oct

A massive fire broke out on Saturday at the cargo complex of the international airport in Bangladesh's capital, forcing authorities to suspend all flight operations as thick black smoke engulfed the area.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said the blaze broke out in the afternoon at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, prompting the deployment of over two dozen firefighting units, with additional teams rushing to the scene.

“We received the information at 2:30 pm and immediately dispatched our units to join the ones deployed at the airport,” Fire Service spokesman Talha Bin Zasim said.

Thirty-six firefighting units are engaged in the operation, he said.

CAAB officials said the Air Force's fire units also joined the rescue campaign.

"Landings and takeoffs of all aircraft have been suspended until further notice. All our aircraft are confirmed safe," a CAAB spokesperson said.

At least nine flights of different airlines scheduled to land in Dhaka were diverted to Shah Amanat International Airport in southeastern Chattogram and Osmani International Airport in northeastern Sylhet. Eight of them landed in Chattogram and one in Sylhet.

According to local media reports, chemicals stored in the cargo zone posed a major challenge for firefighters.

Eyewitnesses said personnel from the army, air force, navy, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) joined the firefighting and rescue efforts.

They described the fire as a major one, with thick smoke covering a large part of the airport and surrounding areas.

This is the third major incident of fire in Bangladesh within a span of five days.

An eight-storey factory building at the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) was completely destroyed in a massive fire on Thursday. There were no casualties.

On Tuesday, 16 workers were killed and several others were injured in a fire that broke out at a four-storey garment factory and a chemical warehouse in Dhaka.