C T Online Desk: A Dhaka-bound Air Astra flight with 72 passengers on board collided with a dog on the runway at Cox’s Bazar Airport moments before takeoff on Saturday evening.
The incident occurred around 7pm, delaying the flight by about an hour.
Airport sources confirmed the dog died upon impact.
Fire service and airport security personnel promptly removed the dog from the runway, allowing the aircraft to depart for Dhaka at around 8pm.
Airport Manager Golam Murtuza said the aircraft sustained no major damage and all passengers were unharmed. He noted that while construction on the runway is complete, structural work on the northern end remains unfinished due to rain.
According to him, dogs are sometimes spotted on the runway after dusk, and low visibility in reduced lighting makes it harder to detect animals.
