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National mourning in Bangladesh after China-made fighter jet crashed leaving 27 dead, 170 injured
Members of Bangladesh Airforce investigate on the site, after an air force training aircraft crashed into a building belong to Milestone School and College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 22, 2025. Reuters
Bangladesh observed a national day of mourning on Tuesday (July 22) after a tragic Air Force jet crash claimed 27 lives, including 25 schoolchildren, in Dhaka—the country's deadliest aviation disaster in decades.
The accident occurred on Monday (July 21), when a Chinese-made F-7 BGI fighter jet crashed into the Milestone School and College shortly after students were dismissed for the day. The aircraft, part of the Bangladesh Air Force and operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, was reportedly on a routine training mission when it suffered a mechanical failure.
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Health Ministry official Sayedur Rahman confirmed the updated death toll, saying, 'So far, 27 people have died. Among them, 25 are children and one is a pilot.' Over 170 people sustained injuries, with 78 currently being treated in various hospitals.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and devastation. Teacher Shahadat Hossain, whose son narrowly escaped the impact, recalled, 'There are two swings in front of the affected building. Even yesterday, around the time the plane crashed, students were on those swings. Along with the children, the school has lost its life.'
Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor of Bangladesh's interim government, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy. Calling the crash an 'irreparable loss,' he wrote on X, 'The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College is beyond words.'
Military officials said the pilot tried to avoid densely populated areas, but the aircraft ultimately slammed into the two-storey school. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the failure.
This marks the worst air tragedy in Bangladesh since 1984, when a commercial flight from Chattogram to Dhaka crashed, killing all 49 people on board.
Classes at the school have been suspended indefinitely as the nation grieves the catastrophic loss of young lives.
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