Bangladesh Air Force jet crashes into Dhaka school killing at least 19
A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft has crashed in to a school campus in northern Dhaka – killing at least 19 people, including the pilot and injuring 164 others, the military said.
According to the military and a fire official, the Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI aircraft crashed in to the campus of Milestone School and College, in Dhaka's Uttara neighbourhood, on Monday afternoon, where students were taking tests or attending regular classes.
Saidur Rahman, a National Burn Institute official in Dhaka, told Bangladesh's leading English daily, The Daily Star, that the death toll rose to 19 within hours.
Bengali-language Prothom Alo daily said most of the injured were students with burn injuries, with at least 20 people taken to a hospital.
Parents and relatives attended the scene as rescuers, using rickshaws or whatever was available, transported the injured.
Rafiqa Taha, a student at the school who was not present at the time of the crash, told The Associated Press by phone that Milestone School and College, with some 2,000 students, runs classes from elementary to 12th grade.
On Monday, she said, some students were taking tests while others attended regular classes.
'I was terrified watching videos on TV,' said the 16-year-old student. 'My God. It's my school.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
2 days ago
- The Journal
Twenty-five children among the dead after fighter jet crashed into school
FAMILIES AND TEACHERS gathered today at a Bangladeshi school where a training fighter jet crashed, killing 25 children and two others in the country's deadliest aviation accident in decades. Most of the victims were pupils who had just been let out of class when the Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft slammed into the Milestone School and College yesterday. 'So far, 27 people have died. Among them, 25 are children and one is a pilot,' said Sayedur Rahman from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, updating an earlier death toll of 20. 'Seventy-eight people are being treated in different hospitals,' added Rahman, special assistant to the ministry's chief adviser. More than 170 people were injured in the crash, said the military which is investigating the cause. The usually bustling school was eerily quiet this morning, with classes cancelled. 'Along with the children, the school has lost its life,' said teacher Shahadat Hossain, whose son narrowly escaped the crash. 'There are two swings in front of the affected building. During lunch breaks and after school, children play there. Even yesterday, around the time the plane crashed, students were on those swings,' the 45-year-old told news agency AFP. Around 7,000 pupils are enrolled at the school, including Abul Bashar's sixth-grade son whose best friend was killed. 'He came out just two or three minutes before the accident occurred,' said Bashar. 'He couldn't sleep through the night and forced me to bring him to school this morning,' the father added, his son standing in silence. Advertisement Children's trauma People crowd a street as fire fighting trucks remain on standby outside the school. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo School authorities have collected bags, shoes, and identity cards of children from the site. Pahn Chakma, a senior police officer, said that armed forces personnel are still sweeping the area. 'They will hand over the place to the police later, and we will then collect evidence, including any human remains or belongings of students and others,' Chakma said. Air Force personnel on duty said the remnants of the fighter jet were removed on last night, but they are still scouring the site for evidence. 'I don't know how long it will take to return to normalcy, to relieve the children from this trauma,' teacher Hossain said. On Monday night, school authorities held prayers at the campus. Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed 'deep grief and sorrow' over the incident and declared a day of national mourning. 'The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable,' he said. 'This is a moment of profound pain for the nation.' The military said the pilot, flight lieutenant Towkir Islam, was on a routine training mission when the jet 'reportedly encountered a mechanical failure'. He tried to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas but, 'despite his best efforts', crashed into the two-storey school building, the military said yesterday.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
At least 19 killed after Bangladeshi air force plane slams into school building
According to the military and a fire official, the Chinese-made F-7 BGI aircraft crashed into the campus of Milestone School and College, in the Uttara neighbourhood, in the afternoon as students were attending classes. The fire service and civil defence said that at least 19 people, mostly students, died and another 116 were rescued with injuries. A significant number sustained burns. The government announced a national day of mourning for today, with flags to fly at half-staff across the country. The military said the jet took off from Bangladesh Air Force Base AK Khandaker at 1.06pm local time and crashed soon after. It said the aircraft 'experienced a technical malfunction', but that a high-level committee within the Air Force would conduct an investigation to determine the cause. The flight lieutenant made 'every effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas toward a more sparsely inhabited location', the military said. 'Unfortunately, the aircraft crashed into a two-storey building' within the school. It is the deadliest airplane crash in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory. Relatives panicked at the scene as rescuers, using tricycle rickshaws or whatever was available, transported the injured to local hospitals. A desperate scene unfolded as the crash occurred. Local residents and rescuers carried wounded students on their laps, while worried parents ran frantically. One father sprinted with his daughter cradled in his arms. A mother cried out, having found her younger child, but desperately searching for her elder. Students said the school's buildings trembled violently followed by a big explosion, sending them running for safety. Screams and desperation filled the air at a nearby hospital. ADVERTISEMENT Doctors at Uttara Adhunik Hospital reported that more than 60 students, many aged 12-16, were transferred to a specialised burn hospital after arriving with burn injuries. At the crash scene, soldiers used megaphones to control the crowd, complicated by the area's dense population, a nearby metro station and numerous surrounding shops and homes. Yesterday evening, rescuers continued to scour the debris, searching for bodies. Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus pledged an investigation into the crash, expressing his deep sorrow over the 'heartbreaking accident' at Milestone School and College. In a statement, he lamented the 'irreparable' loss suffered by 'Air Force personnel, students, parents, teachers, staff, and others,' calling it 'a moment of deep national grief'. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi expressed shock and sadness over the 'tragic air crash in Dhaka' that resulted in the loss of many lives, including young students. 'Our hearts go out to the bereaved families,' Mr Modi said in a post on X. 'India stands in solidarity with Bangladesh and is ready to extend all possible support and assistance.' Rafiqa Taha, a student who was not present at the time of the crash, told The Associated Press by phone that the school, with some 2,000 students, offers classes from elementary to 12th grade. 'I was terrified watching videos on TV,' the 16-year-old said. 'My God! It's my school.'
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Death toll in Bangladesh fighter jet crash rises to at least 27
At least 27 people were killed after a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a college and school campus in Dhaka, officials said, with 88 people, including children, being treated in hospital. . The military said the plane experienced a mechanical failure. Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser on health, told reporters that 27 people had died and 88 were admitted to hospital with burn injuries. The government announced a day of mourning, with flags at half-mast and special prayers at all places of worship. The pilot was among those killed in the incident, the military said, adding that a committee had been formed to investigate what happened. The F-7 BGI is the final and most advanced variant in China's Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft family, according to Jane's Information Group. Bangladesh signed a contract for 16 aircraft in 2011 and deliveries were completed by 2013. The crash comes weeks after an Air India plane crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad in neighbouring India, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
