Military jet crash in Dhaka college campus results in 19 deaths, pilot and students among victims
The F-7 BGI jet took off at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) from the Bangladesh Air Force base in Kurmitola, Dhaka, as part of a routine training mission, but encountered a mechanical failure, said the spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury.
'The pilot... made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas. Despite his best efforts, the aircraft... crashed into a two-storey building belonging to Milestone School and College,' he said.
The pilot was among those killed in the incident, the military said, adding that a committee had been formed to investigate its cause.
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 Chengdu F-7 is the licence-built version of the Soviet MiG-21.
Fire, despair at crash site
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.
Firefighters sprayed water on the mangled remains of the plane, which appeared to have rammed into the side of a building, damaging iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the structure, footage filmed by Reuters showed.
'A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital,' said Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where some victims were taken.
Images from the scene also showed people screaming and crying as others tried to comfort them.
'When I was picking (up) my kids and went to the gate, I realised something came from behind... I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke,' said Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school.
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. — Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Death toll in Bangladesh fighter jet crash rises to 27
Women react at the site of a crash, after an air force training aircraft crashed into a building belong to Milestone School and College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 22, 2025. - Reuters DHAKA: At least 27 people, mostly children, were killed after a Bangladeshi fighter jet crashed into a school in the capital Dhaka, a government official said Tuesday (July 22), updating an earlier toll of at least 20 dead. Most of the victims were schoolchildren who had just been let out of class when the Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft slammed into the Milestone School and College on Monday. The crash, which is the country's deadliest aviation accident in decades, also left more than 170 people injured. "So far, 27 people have died. Among them, 25 are children and one is a pilot," Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said. "Seventy-eight people are being treated in different hospitals," Rahman added. The Bangladesh military on Monday had said the pilot, flight lieutenant Towkir Islam, was on a routine training mission when the jet "reportedly encountered a mechanical failure". "The exact cause remains under investigation," it said in a statement. The pilot tried to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas but, "despite his best efforts", crashed into the two-storey school building, the military added. The interim government of Muhammad Yunus declared that Tuesday would be a day of national mourning. Yunus expressed "deep grief and sorrow" over the incident in a post on X. "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." - AFP
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
At least 19 killed after air force jet crashes in Bangladeshi campus
Firemen sprayed water on the mangled remains of the plane after the crash in Dhaka. (AP pic) DHAKA : At least 19 people were killed as a Bangladesh air force training aircraft crashed into a college and school campus in the capital city of Dhaka today, a fire services official said. More than 50 people, including children and adults, were hospitalised with burns, a doctor at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery told reporters. The incident occurred at the Milestone School and College in Dhaka's northern area of Uttara, officials said. 'Bangladesh air force's F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara. The aircraft took off at 1.06pm,' the military's public relations department said in a statement. 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. Firefighters sprayed water on the mangled remains of the plane, which appeared to have rammed into the side of a building, damaging iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the structure, Reuters TV visuals showed. 'A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital,' said Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where some victims were taken. Visuals also showed people screaming and crying as others tried to comfort them. 'When I was picking (up) my kids and went to the gate, I realised something came from behind… I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke,' said Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school. Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh's interim government, said 'necessary measures' would be taken to investigate the cause of the accident and 'ensure all kinds of assistance'. 'The loss suffered by the air force… students, parents, teachers and staff, and others in this accident is irreparable,' he said. 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.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Malay Mail
Military jet crash in Dhaka college campus results in 19 deaths, pilot and students among victims
DHAKA, July 22 — At least 19 people were killed and 164 injured as a Bangladesh air force training jet crashed into a college and school campus in the capital Dhaka on Monday after experiencing a technical problem shortly after take-off, a military spokesperson said. The F-7 BGI jet took off at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) from the Bangladesh Air Force base in Kurmitola, Dhaka, as part of a routine training mission, but encountered a mechanical failure, said the spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury. 'The pilot... made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas. Despite his best efforts, the aircraft... crashed into a two-storey building belonging to Milestone School and College,' he said. The pilot was among those killed in the incident, the military said, adding that a committee had been formed to investigate its cause. 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 Chengdu F-7 is the licence-built version of the Soviet MiG-21. Fire, despair at crash site 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. Firefighters sprayed water on the mangled remains of the plane, which appeared to have rammed into the side of a building, damaging iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the structure, footage filmed by Reuters showed. 'A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital,' said Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where some victims were taken. Images from the scene also showed people screaming and crying as others tried to comfort them. 'When I was picking (up) my kids and went to the gate, I realised something came from behind... I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke,' said Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school. 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. — Reuters
