Wind made fire control difficult at Shahjalal cargo village area: Fire Service
“It’s an open area, so there was a constant supply of oxygen that kept fuelling the fire. That’s why smoke was visible from a great distance — it appeared larger than it actually was,” Fire Service and Civil Defence DG Brig Gen Md Zahid Kamal says
Strong winds made it challenging to control the massive fire that broke out at the cargo village area of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) on Saturday afternoon (18 October), according to Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General (DG) Brig Gen Md Zahid Kamal.
Speaking to reporters in front of the import cargo complex of the airport around 10pm last night, he said, "It's an open area, so there was a constant supply of oxygen that kept fuelling the fire. That's why smoke was visible from a great distance — it appeared larger than it actually was."
The DG further explained that the interior of the cargo complex is divided into several enclosed sections, making it necessary for firefighters to clear each section individually.
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"Some cargo stored in open spaces caught fire easily, and the wind helped it spread rapidly. However, the fire is now under control. We tried our best to ensure international and domestic flights could resume as soon as possible," he said.
The officer added, "There is no possibility of the fire spreading further. We are now completing the extinguishing process."
When asked whether any chemicals were stored inside the complex, Kamal said that could only be confirmed after the fire is fully extinguished.
The blaze, which started around 2:30pm yesterday, required 37 firefighting units to respond. The cargo village caught fire in the import cargo complex building near Gate 8.
