Dhaka, Oct. 19 -- The devastating fire that broke out at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday was fully extinguished after nearly 27 hours on Sunday afternoon, according to fire service officials.

Firefighters managed to completely douse the flames around 4:55 pm, said Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director (Operation and Maintenance) of Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD), while briefing reporters after visiting the site.

"Had there been a direct or indirect detection and protection system inside, it wouldn't have taken so long to extinguish the fire. The presence of a large amount of steel caused high heat retention," he said.

A total of 23 fire service units worked continuous...