Passengers suffer as fire hits HSIA

A major fire at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka has disrupted flight operations, leading to cancellations and diversions.

Bangladesh Biman’s flight to Kuwait was canceled, while eight other flights were diverted to Chattogram’s Shah Amanat International Airport.

Several additional flights were redirected to other domestic and international airports, causing inconvenience to passengers.

The incident occurred Saturday around 3:45pm, prompting the airport authorities to suspend all takeoffs and landings, airport spokesperson Md Masudul Hasan Masud confirmed.

One Bangladesh Biman flight, carrying 267 passengers along with cabin crew and pilots, was set to depart for Kuwait but was halted, and everyone was evacuated before takeoff.

Passengers reported significant hardship due to the cancellations, especially those arriving from rural areas.

Other affected flights included a Himalaya Airlines flight with 180 passengers, which was returned to Nepal, an Emirates flight from Dubai redirected to Karachi, an IndiGo flight from Chennai sent to Kolkata, and an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah diverted to Chattogram.

The fire has caused widespread disruption at the country’s main airport, leaving travelers stranded and flights delayed or rerouted.