Govt waives all charges for non-scheduled flights for 3 days following Dhaka airport fire
Fire probe to consider all possible angles, says Civil Aviation Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin.
Civil Aviation Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin has said due to damage caused by a massive fire at Dhaka airport, all charges for non-scheduled flights arriving over the next three days have been waived.
An investigation is being conducted considering all possible angles, the adviser told journalists during a visit to the affected area of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport today (19 October), the day after the blaze, after being asked whether the blaze was an act of sabotage.
He added that the probe will examine the causes of how the fire spread and whether anyone bears responsibility or negligence in this regard.
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Bashir mentioned that 21 flights have been diverted or cancelled since the fire.
Responding to journalists' questions about delays in firefighting, he said the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh's own fire service unit approached the fire within 30 seconds of it breaking out.
He said complaints received will be analysed in inter-ministerial meetings and that appropriate investigations and actions will be taken, considering all relevant factors.
Meanwhile, civil aviation officials said that within 15 minutes, the entire terminal was engulfed in flames. The fire rose as high as 300–400 feet, making it impossible to remove cargo, they added.
The massive fire broke out in the cargo area of Dhaka airport yesterday afternoon, forcing a suspension of all flight operations for seven hours and triggering a large-scale emergency response.
Smoke was still rising from the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport this morning on the second day after a massive fire, brought under control after around six hours of toiling
Fire service personnel continued their efforts to extinguish the remaining flames fully.
The fire, which began at around 2pm near Gate 8 of the airport's cargo village, spread rapidly through an area storing imported goods.
At least 37 fire service units were deployed to contain the blaze, while army personnel were called in to assist with rescue operations and maintain order.
Although no fatalities were reported, at least 25 Ansar members were injured while helping to fight the fire.
Fire service official Talha Bin Jashim said the blaze originated in a section where imported goods were stored.
The fire was completely brought under control by 9pm, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement, adding that all flight operations have also resumed.
