BREAKING NEWS Military jet crashes into a school campus in fireball explosion leaving at least one dead in Bangladesh
The aircraft crashed on a campus of the Milestone School and College in the city's Uttara area in the afternoon, where children were present.
Television footage showed fire and smoke billowing from the site of the crash.
The Bangladesh Army's public relations office confirmed in a brief statement that the downed F-7 BGI aircraft belonged to the Air Force.
Fire official Lima Khan stated by phone that at least one person died and four others were injured, though she did not provide further details.
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Reuters
18 hours ago
- Reuters
What is the Chinese-made F-7 jet that crashed into Bangladesh school?
July 22 (Reuters) - A Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet on a routine training mission crashed into a college and school campus in the capital Dhaka on Monday after what the military said was a mechanical failure. At least 31 people were killed, most of them children. Here's what we know about the F-7 BGI jet that went down: The F-7 BGI, which crashed soon after take-off, is a lightweight fighter jet, the final and most advanced version of China's Chengdu J-7/F-7 family, according to Jane's Information Group. The Chengdu J-7 is the licence-built version of the Soviet era MiG-21 and is used for training and limited combat roles. The F-7 is the export variant of J-7. The South Asian country's air force has operated F-7 variants since the 1980s. Dhaka signed a contract for 16 BGI version aircraft in 2011 and deliveries were completed by 2013 - the final batch of the manufactured jets. China manufactured the jets from 1965 to 2013, making it one of the longest-running fighter production lines there. Due to its affordability, the jet was widely exported, especially to developing nations. The J-7 was fully decommissioned from the Chinese military by the end of 2023 but several countries still use the export variant. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Egypt, Iran and North Korea are among the countries that have used or still use variants of the F-7. Pakistan is the largest operator of F-7 aircraft and has 66 of them, according to the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies. Pakistan also has one of China's most advanced warplanes, the J-10, and used it to launch air-to-air missiles to bring down at least two Indian fighter jets during the recent conflict between the two countries. May 2025 - An Air Force of Zimbabwe pilot died when a F-7 crashed during a routine sortie in the Southern African nation. June 2022 - A J-7 crashed into residential buildings in the Chinese city of Xiangyang in central Hubei Province, killing at least one person on the ground. May 2022 - Two Iranian pilots died after their F-7 crashed during a training mission near Anarak, 200 km (125 miles) east of the city of Isfahan. January 2022 - Two Pakistani Air Force pilots were killed when a FT-7 aircraft, a variant of the F-7, crashed. There have been a number of other incidents with F-7 jets in Pakistan that resulted in deaths of pilots.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
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
a day ago
- BBC News
'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.
