No proper fire detection, protection systems found at Dhaka airport cargo village: Fire Service
Lt Col Tajul further said there is no cause for concern as four fire service units will continue working at the site as long as there is smoke
The fire incident at the cargo village of Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport could have been prevented if proper detection and protection systems had been installed there, said Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director (operations and maintenance) of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
"If there were detection and protection systems, such a big incident would not have happened. We did not find any such system at the site, which is why an investigation is needed to determine when and how the fire started," he said while briefing the media at 5pm today (19 October) in front of Gate No 8 of the airport.
"As the structure was mostly made of steel, it absorbed a lot of heat and is still releasing it. That's why smoke is still visible, though there are no flames anymore," he added.
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Lt Col Tajul further said there is no cause for concern as four fire service units will continue working at the site as long as there is smoke.
"Since there is no possibility of a major accident, we are declaring the fire extinguished," he said.
He explained that the Customs House building at the cargo village was divided into several small compartments and contained a large quantity of combustible and hazardous materials. "Because of that, the occupancy load was very high, and it took longer to bring the fire under control," he said.
Cutting through the steel structures to enter the interior was also difficult and time-consuming, which contributed to the delay in extinguishing the blaze, the director added.
The massive fire broke out yesterday afternoon, forcing a suspension of all flight operations for nearly seven hours and triggering a large-scale emergency response.
The fire, which began at around 2:30pm near Gate no-8 of the airport's cargo village, spread rapidly through an area storing imported goods. It was completely doused at 4:55pm today.
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.
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.
According to airport authorities, flight operations resumed at around 9pm last night and have since been running as usual.
Civil Aviation Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin told reporters at the site that a thorough investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the fire.
