Bangladesh declares day of mourning after deadly plane crash
The F-7 BGI aircraft, a Chinese-built fighter used for training purposes, went down shortly after taking off from the A.K. Khandaker Air Base in Dhaka's Kurmitola neighborhood at 1:06 p.m. The jet crashed into Milestone School and College in the Uttara area, igniting a fire and causing extensive damage to a two-story school building.
Officials confirmed the pilot was among the dead. Twenty deaths were initially reported, with seven more victims succumbing to their injuries overnight, according to a military spokesperson and local fire officials. Medical teams said that the condition of nearly two dozen victims remains critical.
Of the 171 injured, most were students who were attending afternoon classes at the time. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as emergency responders rushed to evacuate children and school staff. Many of the wounded were transported to a specialized burn hospital in Dhaka, where a blood donation camp has been set up to support ongoing treatment efforts.
Twenty bodies have so far been returned to families. Some of the victims were burned beyond recognition, and authorities may need to conduct DNA testing to confirm their identities.
According to an official military statement, the jet experienced a "technical malfunction" shortly after takeoff. The pilot reportedly attempted to steer the aircraft away from densely populated areas before it struck the school compound. An Air Force investigation team has been formed to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Milestone School and College, which serves approximately 2,000 students from elementary through 12th grade, is a leading private institution focused on academics, extracurricular activities, and global opportunities. The school has operated in Dhaka for more than two decades.
Rafiqa Taha, a student not present at the time, told the Associated Press that classes were underway across several grades when the crash occurred. Local media have reported that many of the injured were inside classrooms or on the school grounds when the jet came down.
The incident has shocked Dhaka, a city of more than 20 million residents. Interim national leader Muhammad Yunus expressed his condolences to the victims' families and promised a full investigation. "This is a heartbreaking tragedy," Yunus said, adding that every effort would be made to support survivors and determine accountability.
In response to the disaster, the government declared a national day of mourning the day after the crash. Flags flew at half-staff across the country in honor of the victims.
This crash is the deadliest involving a military aircraft in Dhaka in recent history. The last similar incident occurred in 2008 when another F-7 training jet crashed outside the capital, killing the pilot after he ejected due to a technical failure.
As investigators begin to comb through the wreckage and eyewitness accounts, questions remain about the maintenance, safety protocols, and aging aircraft used by the Bangladeshi Air Force for training missions. For now, the country mourns the loss of lives, many of them young students, in what has become a national tragedy.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X: "Our hearts go out to the bereaved families. India stands in solidarity with Bangladesh and is ready to extend all possible support and assistance."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
15 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Attacks in China and Japan raise concerns about xenophobia in both countries
A Japanese woman living in China was attacked and injured by a man in a Suzhou subway station, Japanese media outlets said, hours after two Chinese men were seriously injured in violence in Tokyo. The attacks on Thursday raised concern about xenophobic sentiment in both China and Japan that have been blamed for assaults in both countries. It was the third attack involving Japanese living in China since last year. In the two previous cases in China, Chinese authorities have insisted they were isolated incidents.
Toronto Star
15 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Japanese woman attacked in a subway in China, raising concern about xenophobia
A Japanese woman living in China was attacked by a man with a stone-like object in the eastern city of Suzhou and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to Japanese media outlets. The assault late Thursday in Suzhou followed attacks earlier in the day in Tokyo against two Chinese men who were seriously injured.
Winnipeg Free Press
15 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Japanese woman attacked in a subway in China, raising concern about xenophobia
A Japanese woman living in China was attacked by a man with a stone-like object in the eastern city of Suzhou and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to Japanese media outlets. The assault late Thursday in Suzhou followed attacks earlier in the day in Tokyo against two Chinese men who were seriously injured. The violence has raised concern about xenophobic sentiment in both China and Japan that have been blamed for attacks in both countries. It was the third attack involving Japanese living in China since last year. In the two previous cases in China, Chinese authorities have insisted they were isolated incidents. The Japanese broadcaster NHK did not identify the woman injured in Suzhou by name but, citing the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai, said she was with her child inside a subway station when the attack took place. The child was not injured, and the mother had returned home after reportedly getting treated at a hospital, NHK reported. A phone call to the Suzhou Police went unanswered on Friday evening, and the local police were yet to release any official statement. But the Japanese news agency Kyodo said the suspect had been detained. In Tokyo earlier Thursday, two Chinese men were seriously injured in attacks, and four male assailants wielding unspecified weapons remained at large, according to a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Japan. The identities of the assailants were unclear. In southern China last September, a 10-year-old Japanese student died after being stabbed by a Chinese man not far from the gate of the Shenzhen Japanese School in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. The man was sentenced to death. In June 2024, a Japanese woman and her child were injured in an attack by a Chinese man, also in Suzhou. A Chinese bus attendant who tried to protect them from the attack was killed. The man was sentenced to death. On Friday, the Japan Chamber of Commerce in China called for Chinese authorities to ensure Japanese citizens' safety and security in China. 'It is extremely regrettable that such an incident has happened again. Ensuring the safety of employees and their families is fundamental for doing business in China,' the statement said. The Chinese Embassy urged the Japanese authorities to take action to catch the assailants in the Tokyo attack and to ensure the safety and legal rights of Chinese citizens in Japan 'in response to the recent surge in xenophobic sentiment in Japanese society.'
