One killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes in college campus
The incident occurred in Dhaka's northern area of Uttara, the military's public relations department said in a statement.
"Bangladesh Air Force's F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara. The aircraft took off at 13:06 (0706 GMT)," it said.
Videos of the aftermath of the crash showed a big fire near a lawn emitting a thick plume of smoke into the sky, as crowds watched from a distance.
At least four people were injured and taken to a military hospital in the area, local newspaper Prothom Alo said, citing the duty officer at the fire service control room.
The daily said that initial reports indicated the plane had crashed on the roof of the college canteen. Reuters could not independently verify this information.
The incident comes a little over a month after an Air India plane crashed on top of a medical college hostel in neighbouring India's Ahmedabad city, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, marking the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
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Daily Mirror
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Pupils' skin 'peels off' from major burns after horror Bangladesh plane crash into school kills 20
The Bangladesh Air Force jet crashed into the Milestone College school campus on Monday, killing at least 20 people, including the pilot, and injuring 171 Students, teachers, and family members have been left shocked and grieving after a Bangladesh Air Force jet crashed into a school campus, resulting in at least 20 deaths. Hasbya Rahman, a student at Milestone School and College in Uttara, Dhaka's suburb, told the Bangladeshi news outlet The Business Standard (TBS) that she was in her classroom when the smoking aircraft suddenly hurtled toward the school. 'We saw the plane engulfed in flames as it came toward us, then it crashed right into the building,' Rahman said. Fortunately, she escaped without injury. 'The air was filled with smoke and screams,' she recalled, adding that teachers were desperately trying to evacuate young children, but many were trapped by the fire and smoke. A spokesperson for Milestone School and College confirmed that the jet crashed near the school gates around 1:06 p.m. local time on Monday, July 21, according to the Times of India. Russia earthquake: 7.4 magnitude quake caught on camera before tsunami warning Moment shaken Delta pilot apologises after jet almost crashes with B-52 bomber The Bangladesh Armed Forces reported that at least 20 people, including the pilot, died after the Air Force training jet crashed due to a 'mechanical fault.' Another 171 people were injured. Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school, told Reuters that he noticed something was wrong when he was walking toward the school's outdoor gate. 'When I was picking up my kids and reached the gate, I saw something coming from behind,' he said. 'I heard an explosion. When I looked back, there was only fire and smoke.' According to India Today, the plane hit the front of the three-story school building, trapping several students. The classrooms for children from playgroup through grades 1 to 5, as well as a canteen, were located in the area of impact, according to TBS. CNN reported that Milestone School has students aged 4 to 18. Footage from Bangladesh's Channel 24 showed smoke rising from the building as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. One family member told a local network that his sister, a grade four student, was injured in the crash. Another bystander described the victims arriving at the hospital with severe burns. 'We literally saw skin being torn off,' she said. Teachers and school staff initially helped evacuate students before fire and army rescue teams arrived. Witnesses reported that army personnel carried injured students to vehicles and rushed them to hospitals, as ambulances were not immediately available, according to TBS and India Today. Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh's interim government, vowed that 'necessary measures' would be taken to investigate the crash and provide all needed assistance, the BBC reported. 'This is a moment of deep sorrow for the nation. I wish the injured a speedy recovery and have instructed all relevant authorities, including hospitals, to treat this situation with utmost priority,' he said in a social media statement. Bangladesh will observe a national day of mourning on Tuesday, July 22, with flags flown at half-mast.
BBC News
4 hours ago
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'My friend die for my front': How Air Force jet crash enta school, kill pipo for Bangladesh
Farhan Hasan just finish exam and dey comot classroom dey gist wit im friends wen one Bangladeshi Air Force training jet crash enter im school campus - kill at least 27 pipo. "Di burning plane bin dey hit di building right in front of my eyes" di Milestone School and College student tell BBC Bangla. Video from di school for one northern suburb of di capital, Dhaka show one big fire and thick smoke, afta di aircraft jam one two-storey building. 27 pipo die and more dan 170 pipo injure for di crash. Di armed forces tok say di F-7 jet get mechanical fault afta e take off for training exercise just afta 13:00 local time (07:00 GMT). Di pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md. Taukir Islam, dey among di pipo wey die. Farhan, wey bin dey tok to BBC Bangla wit im uncle and im papa, add say, "my best friend, di one wey I dey exam hall wit, e die right in front of my eyes. "For my eyes... di plane pass right over im head. And many parents bin dey stand inside sake of di younger pikins dey come out since e be say na end of school day... di plane carry di parents along wit am." One teacher for di college, Rezaul Islam, tell BBC say e see di plane "directly" hit di building. Anoda teacher, Masud Tarik, tell Reuters say e hear explosion, "wen I look back, I only see fire and smoke... Plenty guardians and pikins dey here." Hours afta di crash, for one residential area wey dey very populated, big crowd gada wit pipo wey stand on top buildings to see wetin happun. As pipo dey run for all directions, ambulances and volunteers dey try find dia way to carry di injured and plenty bodies comot from di Milestone School and College. At least 30 ambulances bin dey move pipo comot. One woman wey bin dey find informantion for di scene tell BBC say her son call her afta di crash hapun, but she never hear from am since den. More dan 50 pipo, including children and adults, dey hospital wit burns, one doctor for di National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery tok. Plenty families and relatives of di victims dey inside hospital – including Shah Alam, wey be uncle to one Year 8 boy, Tanvir Ahmed, wey die for di accident. "Na my pikin-pikin dey for mortuary now" Mr Alam tok as e dey hold im younger broda – Tanvir papa wey no fit tok anytin. Most of di victims wey dey inside di burns hospital na small pikin dem - most of dem dey between nine and 14 years old. No be only di burns hospital dem carry injured pipo go. Bangladesh health ministry tok say seven hospitals for di city dey treat victims. Di kind accident wey happun don make many pipo for town begin come out to donate blood, and even politicians from two of di biggest parties for di country Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami don go visit di injured. Meanwhile, dem don declare Tuesday as day of mourning – and di national flag go dey fly half-mast. How di crash happun? Di training aircraft take off from Bangladesh Air Force Base for Dhaka around 13:00 local time (07:00 GMT) and e crash soon afta for di Uttara neighbourhood. Di air force tok for one statement say di F-7 jet get mechanical fault and di pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md. Taukir Islam, try to fly am go a less crowded area. E dey among di pipo wey die. Images from di scene hours afta di crash show plenty emergency service workers dey go through burnt remains to find survivors. Authorities don put togeda one investigation committee to look into di incident, di armed forces tok for statement.
The Independent
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