Dhaka, July 21: At least 19 people were killed and more than 50 injured after a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into the Milestone School and College campus in Dhaka’s Uttara area on Monday afternoon, triggering a major fire and widespread panic.
The F-7 BGI jet, a training aircraft operated by the Bangladesh Air Force, took off at 13:06 local time (0706 GMT) before crashing into the northern Dhaka educational complex, according to the military’s public relations office. The fiery impact caused severe damage to the building, with visuals showing mangled aircraft debris lodged into the structure, charred walls, and a large hole where the jet had struck.
Authorities confirmed that many of the victims were children. “A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital,” said Dr. Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. He added that dozens of others were being treated for burns and blast injuries at multiple medical facilities across the city.
Eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene. “When I was picking up my kids at the gate, I suddenly heard an explosion behind me. When I turned around, there was just fire and thick black smoke,” said Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school. Screams filled the air as parents and staff scrambled to find children amidst the chaos.
Footage from the scene showed plumes of smoke rising as firefighters battled to douse the flames and rescue victims from the rubble. The plane reportedly hit the side of the school building, damaging iron grills and destroying several classrooms.
Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s interim government, assured the nation that “necessary measures” would be taken to determine the cause of the crash. “The loss suffered by the Air Force, students, parents, teachers, staff, and the broader community is irreparable,” Yunus said in a statement.
The tragedy comes just weeks after a similar aviation catastrophe in neighboring India, where an Air India plane crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad, killing 241 passengers and 19 on the ground — the worst aviation disaster in over a decade.
