At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes into college campus
More than 50 people, including children and adults, were hospitalized 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 13:06 (0706 GMT)," 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 realized 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 neighboring 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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Yomiuri Shimbun
4 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
A Bangladesh Air Force Training Jet Crashes into a School in Dhaka and Kills at Least 25 People
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school in Dhaka, the country's capital, shortly after takeoff on Monday afternoon, killing the pilot and 24 other people, most of whom were students, officials said. The jet crashed and caught fire, leaving also 171 people, mostly students, injured. They were rescued from the school's smoldering two-story building, officials said, many with burns, taken away in helicopters, ambulances, motorized rickshaws and the arms of firefighters and parents. Initially, reports after the crash said 20 people died. Five died of their injuries overnight. Doctors said late Monday that the condition of about two dozen injured remained critical. The Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft experienced a 'technical malfunction' moments after takeoff at 1:06 p.m. local time, and the pilot attempted to divert the plane to a less populated area before crashing into the campus of Milestone School and College, according to a statement from the military. Many relatives waited overnight at a specialized burn hospital for bodies of their loved ones. Around midnight, Mohammed Abdur Rahim was looking for his cousin Afia Akter in a hospital. 'We could not find my cousin. She is missing. Doctors here have asked us to go to other hospitals,' he told The Associated Press. Students said the school's buildings trembled violently, followed by a big explosion that sent them running for safety. A desperate scene soon unfolded at the crash site, as panicked relatives searched for loved ones. Screams filled the air at a nearby hospital. The Milestone school is located in Dhaka's Uttara neighborhood, about an 11 kilometers (7 miles) drive from the A.K. Khandaker air force base. The school is in a densely populated area near a metro station and numerous shops and homes. The pilot, Flight Lt. Mohammed Toukir Islam, made 'every effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas toward a more sparsely inhabited location,' the military said, adding that it would investigate the cause of the accident. It is the deadliest plane crash in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory. In 2008, another F-7 training jet crashed outside Dhaka, killing its pilot, who had ejected after he discovered a technical problem. The government announced a national day of mourning on Tuesday, with flags to fly at half-staff across the country. Mosammat Sagorika, who scored four goals on Monday to defeat Nepal in an under 20 women's South Asian soccer championship match, dedicated the country's win to the victims of the jet crash. 'Many people have died, and many are injured. So, we all are sad,' the 17-year-old Sagorika told reporters. At the crash site Monday afternoon, a father sprinted with his daughter cradled in his arms. A mother cried out, having found her younger child, but desperately searched for her older one. Another father described his feeling of helplessness while waiting to learn the fate of his daughter. 'The plane crashed on the building where my daughter was. My wife called me, but I was praying so I could not pick up,' Jewel, who goes by one name, said at the scene. 'When I came here I saw there was a huge fire. There was a dead body of a child.' Luckily, his daughter was safe, he said, but he saw many other children suffering from burns. Students also scrambled to see what had happened. 'We fought with the crowd and the soldiers to get close to the crash site in our school,' said Estiak Elahi Khan, who is in the 11th grade. 'What I saw I can't describe that … that's terrible.' Doctors at Uttara Adhunik Hospital said more than 60 students, many between the ages of 12 and 16, were transferred to a special hospital for burn victims. By Monday evening, rescuers continued to scour the debris, searching for bodies. A crane was being used to remove debris. Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, also pledged an investigation, and he expressed his deep sorrow over the 'heartbreaking accident.' He called it 'a moment of deep national grief.' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed shock and sadness. 'Our hearts go out to the bereaved families,' Modi said in a post on X. 'India stands in solidarity with Bangladesh and is ready to extend all possible support and assistance.' Rafiqa Taha, a student who was not present at the time of the crash, said by phone that the school, with some 2,000 students, offers classes from elementary grades through high school. 'I was terrified watching videos on TV,' the 16-year-old said. 'My God! It's my school.'
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4 days ago
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Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashes into school in Dhaka and kills at least 20
Shahbul, father of a missing girl student, cries after a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft that crashed onto a school campus shortly after takeoff in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, July 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) By JULHAS ALAM A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school in Dhaka, the capital, shortly after takeoff on Monday afternoon, catching fire and killing the pilot and at least 19 other people, most of whom were students, officials said. Another 171 students were rescued with injuries from a smoldering two-story building, officials said, including many with burns who were whisked away in helicopters, motorized rickshaws and the arms of firefighters and parents. The Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft experienced a 'technical malfunction' moments after takeoff at 1:06 p.m. local time, and the pilot attempted to divert the plane to a less populated area before crashing into the campus of Milestone School and College, according to a statement from the military. Students said the school's buildings trembled violently, followed by a big explosion that sent them running for safety. A desperate scene soon unfolded at the crash site, as panicked relatives searched for loved ones. Screams filled the air at a nearby hospital. The Milestone school is in Dhaka's Uttara neighborhood, which is roughly 11 kilometers (7 miles) drive from the A.K. Khandaker air force base. The school is in a densely populated area near a metro station and numerous shops and homes. The pilot, Flight Lt. Mohammed Toukir Islam, made 'every effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas toward a more sparsely inhabited location,' the military said, adding that it would investigate the cause of the accident. It is the deadliest plane crash in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory. In 2008, another F-7 training jet crashed outside Dhaka, killing its pilot, who had ejected after he discovered a technical problem. The government announced a national day of mourning on Tuesday, with flags to fly at half-staff across the country. At the crash site Monday afternoon, a father sprinted with his daughter cradled in his arms. A mother cried out, having found her younger child, but desperately searched for her older one. Another father described his feeling of helplessness while waiting to learn the fate of his daughter. 'The plane crashed on the building where my daughter was. My wife called me, but I was praying so I could not pick up," Jewel, who goes by one name, said at the scene. 'When I came here I saw there was a huge fire. There was a dead body of a child.' Luckily, his daughter was safe, he said, but he saw many other children suffering from burns. Students also scrambled to see what had happened. 'We fought with the crowd and the soldiers to get close to the crash site in our school,' said Estiak Elahi Khan, who is in the 11th grade. "What I saw I can't describe that ... that's terrible." Doctors at Uttara Adhunik Hospital said more than 60 students, many between the ages of 12 and 16, were transferred to a special hospital for burn victims. By Monday evening, rescuers continued to scour the debris, searching for bodies. A crane was being used to remove debris. Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, also pledged an investigation, and he expressed his deep sorrow over the 'heartbreaking accident.' He called it 'a moment of deep national grief.' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed shock and sadness. 'Our hearts go out to the bereaved families,' Modi said in a post on X. 'India stands in solidarity with Bangladesh and is ready to extend all possible support and assistance.' Rafiqa Taha, a student who was not present at the time of the crash, said by phone that the school, with some 2,000 students, offers classes from elementary grades through high school. 'I was terrified watching videos on TV,' the 16-year-old said. 'My God! It's my school.' Associated Press videographer Al-emrun Garjon contributed from Dhaka. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Nikkei Asia
4 days ago
- Nikkei Asia
At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes into college campus
DHAKA (Reuters) -- 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 on Monday, a fire services official said. More than 50 people, including children and adults, were hospitalized 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 13:06 (0706 GMT)," 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 realized 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 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 neighboring 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.
