Pupils' skin 'peels off' from major burns after horror Bangladesh plane crash into school kills 20
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Dhaka crash: 'A sound I've never heard - then the jet flew over my head'
"It was like 30 or 40 thunderbolts falling from the sky," said Ahnaf Bin Hasan, an 18-year-old student whose voice still trembled two days after the crash. "I've never heard a sound like that in my life - it came from the sky. In a split second, the fighter jet flew over my head and crashed into the school building."The Bangladesh Air Force F-7 plane had plummeted from the sky and slammed into the primary school building of the Milestone School and College in Dhaka on Monday, marking Bangladesh's deadliest aviation disaster in decades. At least 31 people were killed - many of them schoolchildren under 12 - while waiting to be picked up, heading to coaching classes, or grabbing a quick in his chocolate brown shirt and black trousers, school badge pinned neatly, Ahnaf was chatting with a friend under a canopy on the playground of the sprawling 12-acre campus of Milestone School and College, in the busy Uttara neighbourhood. He says he was barely 30 feet away when the jet nosedived into the building. Ahnaf instinctively dropped to the ground, bracing his head with his hands. When he opened his eyes, the world around him had changed."All I could see was smoke, fire, and darkness. Children were screaming. Everything was chaos," he told the BBC on the phone. The air force said the jet, on a training flight, experienced a mechanical fault shortly after takeoff. The pilot, who ejected just before the crash, later died in hospital."I saw the pilot eject," Ahnaf said. "After the crash, I looked up and saw his white parachute descending. He broke through the tin roof of another building. I heard he was alive after landing, even asked for water. A helicopter came and took him away."As smoke and flames spread through the school, Ahnaf's instincts kicked in. A flaming splinter from the burning plane had struck his backpack, singed his trousers and scorched his hand. "It was so hot, but I threw the bag aside and ran to help."He ran toward the concrete walkway separating the playground from the two-storey primary school building. The plane had slammed into the gate, burrowed six to seven feet into the ground, then tilted upward, crashed into the first floor, and exploded. Two classrooms named Cloud and Sky had become the ground zero of the crash. Near the entrance, Ahnaf saw a student's body, torn apart."It looked like the plane had hit him before slamming into the building," he said. "He was younger than us."The five-building campus, usually buzzing with student chatter, had turned into a scene of fire, splintered metal, and the smoke, Ahnaf spotted a junior student whose skin was scorched and whose body had been pulled out of the blaze by a friend."His friend told me, 'I can't do this alone. Can you help me?' So I picked the boy up, put him on my shoulder, and carried him to the medical room."Another woman was on fire. Children ran from the building stripped to their underclothes, their garments burned off, their skin blistering in the intense heat."On the second floor, students were stranded and screaming," Ahnaf said. "We broke open a grille to reach one of the gates, which was on fire. The army and fire service came in and rescued some of them."Ahnaf, like many others, quickly took on roles far beyond his age."We helped control the crowds, kept people away from the fire. We cleared the roads for ambulances and helped fire service crews pull their pipes through the campus."At one point, he gave the shirt off his back - literally."One student had nothing on him. I took off my uniform and gave it to him. I continued bare-bodied with the rescue."But the weight of so many young lives lost at the school is something he says will be hard to overcome. One of them was 11-year-old Wakia Firdous had walked to school that morning like any other day. When the plane hit, her father was at prayer - he ran barefoot from the mosque as soon as he uncle, Syed Billal Hossain, told me that the family spent the entire night searching more than half a dozen hospitals. "We walked across Uttara, helpless. Someone said six bodies were at one hospital. At one in the morning on Tuesday, her father identified her - by her teeth and a problem in her eye. But we still haven't been given the body."The pain of losing a child was only compounded by the bureaucratic maze. Despite identifying their daughter by a dental feature and a lens in her eye, the family was told the body wouldn't be released without DNA tests - because there were multiple claimants. First, a police report had to be filed. Then the father gave blood at the military hospital. Now they were waiting for the mother's sample to be drawn. "We know it's her," said Mr Hossain. "But they still won't hand over the body."Wakia, the youngest of three siblings, lived next door to her uncle in an old ancestral home in Diabari. "She grew up in front of our eyes - playing on rooftops, sitting under the coconut tree next to our house, always cradling her baby niece. She was just a child, and she loved children," said Mr Hossain."I saw her just the day before," he said. "If not for that after-school coaching, she'd be alive."In the chaos and heartbreak that followed the crash, moments of narrow escape and immense courage stood mother told BBC Bengali how she'd given her child money for tiffin instead of packing lunch that morning. During the break, he stepped out to buy food - and unknowingly avoided death by mere chance. "He is alive because I didn't give him tiffin," she parent's tragedy was unimaginable. He lost both his children within hours. His daughter died first. After burying her, he returned to the hospital only to wake from a brief nap and be told his young son, too, had died. And then there was Mahreen Chowdhury. The teacher, responsible for children in Classes 3 to 5, helped at least 20 students flee the inferno. Refusing to leave, she kept going back into the flames - until her body was burned over 80%. Chowdhury died a hero, saving the lives of those too young to save staff at the school, it's like living in a nightmare. "I can't function normally anymore. Every time I look at the building, a wave of grief crashes over me. I feel lost, unwell and depressed. I've lost three children I knew - one of them was my colleague's," said Shafiqul Islam Tultul, a 43-year-old Bengali teacher. In the aftermath, questions and confusion have swirled around the scale of the tragedy. The government has reported 29 deaths and more than 100 injuries, with seven victims still unidentified. However, the military's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) puts the toll at to the Health Ministry, 69 people were injured in the crash and rescue efforts - including 41 students. Social media has buzzed with speculation about a possible cover-up, claims the Bangladesh Armed Forces have firmly denied. Meanwhile, the school's head teacher Khadija Akhter told BBC Bengali that families have reported five people still the eyewitnesses and survivors, the trauma lingers."I haven't slept for two days," Ahnaf says. "Every time I look outside, I feel like a fighter jet is coming at me. The screams are still in my ears."Fighter jets and commercial planes often fly over the campus, which lies close to Dhaka's international airport. "We're in the flight path," Ahnaf said. "We're used to seeing planes overhead - but we never imagined one would fall from the sky and strike us."Yet, the horrors of that day haunt him relentlessly. The screams, the fire, and the charred bodies of classmates and teachers refuse to fade."When I close my eyes, it's not darkness I see - it's smoke."
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
B&M is selling out of £3 ‘stylish' ornament that adds splash of colour to eyesore walls & makes your garden look bigger
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IF your garden wall is bringing down the tone of your outdoor space, don't worry. A simple addition can instantly elevate your wall, and you can pick it up for cheaper than ever from B&M. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 B&M shoppers can pick up a watering can themed wall planter for just £3 Credit: B&M Tall garden walls can make your space feel claustrophobic and cramped. To brighten them up and make your garden feel better, all you need is this affordable ornament. Adding a wall planter to your outdoor space can help create a vertical garden. According to the experts at Atlas Sheds, this step can introduce colour and levels to your garden. "Maximise vertical space with raised beds, wall planters, or tiered garden shelves," they recommended. The pros explained that this will "add levels to your garden, making it appear more spacious and creating more opportunities for plant growth". "Structures like pergolas and trellises can draw the eyes upward, adding height to the space," they added. And opting for vibrant flowers in your fun planter can add even more "character and depth to small gardens". For an "open and airy" feel, they suggested incorporating light blue and soft green flowers into your wall planters. And thanks to B&M, you can add even more personality with a Watering Can Wall Planter. 'I was quoted £10,000 for a garden renovation but did it MYSELF for £1,000 using ChatGPT to show my kids what single mums can do' The bargain retailer has recently slashed the price of this decor item by 50%. B&M shoppers can now pick the wall planter up for just £3 instead of £6. According to its manufacturers, this planter "makes a stylish addition to your garden". They described it as "perfect for adding character to your garden walls". However, shoppers will want to hurry as the retailer warned that stock is low. Don't miss out... Visit The Sun's shopping home and garden hub for more news, deals and tips. For more discounts and recommendations from the Sun Shopping team, sign up to our newsletter and join the WhatsApp group. More garden buys You can also turn up a stunning boho escape with Aldi's £25 middle aisle bargain. And you can add a fun summer touch to your garden. The retailer also has a £10 garden essential that's perfect for lazing in the sun. And the Sun has tried and tested a variety of camping gear so you don't have to. Plus, a breakdown of the best deals for festival gear this summer.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
I found the ultimate 10/10 gas BBQ – it's perfect for unpredictable weather and has space for 14 burgers
Find out which grill scored a perfect 10/10 - and which didn't impress GET GRILLING I found the ultimate 10/10 gas BBQ – it's perfect for unpredictable weather and has space for 14 burgers Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WHILST many of us love cooking over fire on a charcoal barbecue, a gas barbecue is a stress-free solution to outdoor grilling. With pretty unpredictable weather in the UK, the ability to turn a knob and be ready to cook al fresco in minutes is definitely a good option. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Consumer reporter Lynsey Hope tries out all the best barbecues for under £150 Credit: Oliver Dixon A gas barbecue also allows you to control the heat and some have useful side burners for warming sauces or searing a steak. Some models can be expensive - but there are some budget friendly gas options available. Lynsey Hope shares her verdict on the best gas barbecues under £150. Uniflame 2 Burner Gas BBQ £68, 6 This one is impressive for the price and is easily big enough to cook 14 burgers Credit: Oliver Dixon For less than £70, this is a very wallet-friendly gas barbecue. It didn't take long to assemble - less than 30 minutes - and it looks stylish with a black control panel and stylish chrome control knobs. The cooking area is easily big enough for 14 burgers and there was plenty of room to cook enough food for about seven people on this. It seemed robust and hard-wearing and lit easily. It cooked burgers evenly without charring them and it comes with a warming rack. For the price, I was really impressed with this. It was easy to wipe clean and it's a relatively compact design so easy to store, too. Performance: 5/5 Value: 5/5 Overall score: 10/10 B&Q Black 2 Burner Gas BBQ £100, 6 This one was a little difficult to assemble but once up it did a decent job Credit: Oliver Dixon Difficult to put together, taking over an hour. The instructions were quite tricky to follow. Once up, it did a pretty decent job. It lit easily and seemed to cook food pretty evenly. It's not huge, but can cook enough food for around six people. It is compact so a great option for smaller gardens and it is resistant to rust if you need to keep it outside. For the price, it's a generous cooking area. No bells and whistles, but a basic model at a fair price that did a decent job. Everything that came off this grill tasted pretty good. Performance: 4/5 Value: 4/5 Overall score: 8/10 George Foreman Portable 1 Burner Gas BBQ £149, 6 This portable gadget heats up in just five minutes and is a dream to use Credit: Oliver Dixon A single burner gas barbecue that is ideal for camping or trips to the beach. It's easy to assemble though you will need a screwdriver for the lid and you have to screw in the thermometer. The fiddliest bit is putting together the regulator yourself. It's a bit of a faff as you have to lubricate the hose with water onto the regulator and the barbecue and then you use small hose clamps to tighten everything. The instructions were simple and clear, though it took me a while to get it done. Once set up, it's a dream to use. It gets to temperature in just five minutes and the temperature control is smooth. There were a couple of cool spots in the corners but otherwise it provided pretty even coverage, allowing you to cook food evenly no matter where it was on the grill. It's easy to move around and lift on to a table top for use. The cooking was pretty average but it produced good char lines and though everything was delicious some of the others cooked faster than this. Performance: 4/5 Value: 3/5 Overall score: 7/10 Argos Home 2 Burner with Side Burner Gas BBQ £72, 6 This one didn't impress Lynsey as the structure felt wobbly and the grill size was limited Credit: Oliver Dixon This took ages to put together, around 90 minutes, and the diagrams were unclear. Once up, it looked pretty flimsy and I felt the structure was wobbly. It's not very sturdy and though it's a wallet-friendly price, I don't think it will last long. The manufacturers say it's big enough to feed six to eight people but I thought the grill size was quite limited. I struggled to cook enough food on here for a family of five. There were hot and cold spots too. Only one section of the grill really got hot enough to sear on. The side burner was a great feature and I found it really handy for whipping up side dishes. But there is no higher warming grill, either. There is a storage shelf for keeping ingredients close at hand. The compact size does make it easier to store and the wheels mean you can move it around the garden with ease. Performance: 2/5 Value: 3/5 Overall score: 5/10 Outback Omega 250 2-Burner Gas BBQ £129.99, 6 This one comes highly recommended as it cooks well and is easy to move around Credit: Oliver Dixon A superb gas barbecue with easy-to-use controls and good cooking ability. It still took a while to put together but it seemed robust and has two wheels, making it easy to move to the perfect spot in your garden. It has a handy foldable side table and I loved the side burner, which was really handy for side dishes or cooking onions. It has a push-button ignition, a grease collection cup and a metal storage shelf at the space. It was light and easy to clean, perfect for both amateur and seasoned outdoor chefs. What I liked most was its ability to lightly cook sirloin steaks to a medium-rare consistency - nothing was overcooked. For the price, I thought it was great value and this comes highly recommended.
