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Death toll in Bangladesh fighter jet crash rises to 27

Death toll in Bangladesh fighter jet crash rises to 27

The Star5 days ago
Women react at the site of a crash, after an air force training aircraft crashed into a building belong to Milestone School and College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 22, 2025. - Reuters
DHAKA: At least 27 people, mostly children, were killed after a Bangladeshi fighter jet crashed into a school in the capital Dhaka, a government official said Tuesday (July 22), updating an earlier toll of at least 20 dead.
Most of the victims were schoolchildren who had just been let out of class when the Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft slammed into the Milestone School and College on Monday.
The crash, which is the country's deadliest aviation accident in decades, also left more than 170 people injured.
"So far, 27 people have died. Among them, 25 are children and one is a pilot," Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said.
"Seventy-eight people are being treated in different hospitals," Rahman added.
The Bangladesh military on Monday had said the pilot, flight lieutenant Towkir Islam, was on a routine training mission when the jet "reportedly encountered a mechanical failure".
"The exact cause remains under investigation," it said in a statement.
The pilot tried to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas but, "despite his best efforts", crashed into the two-storey school building, the military added.
The interim government of Muhammad Yunus declared that Tuesday would be a day of national mourning.
Yunus expressed "deep grief and sorrow" over the incident in a post on X.
"The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable," he said.
"This is a moment of profound pain for the nation." - AFP
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Heart And Soul: A daughter honours her late mum and dad for Parents Day today
Heart And Soul: A daughter honours her late mum and dad for Parents Day today

The Star

time12 hours ago

  • The Star

Heart And Soul: A daughter honours her late mum and dad for Parents Day today

Do you have any real-life, heart-warming stories to share with readers? We'd love to hear from you. Please keep your story within 900 words. Photos are optional and should be in JPEG format (file size about 1MB, with caption and photo credit). There is no payment for stories, and we reserve the right to edit all submissions. Email your story to: heartandsoul@ with the subject "Heart and Soul". In Malaysia, Parents Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July, which falls on July 27 this year. My late parents – my father, Chan Kok Yiam, and my mother, Tiew Cho – were a humble, hardworking couple, grounded in simplicity and perseverance. They earned a living by selling cut fruits by the roadside along Jalan Melayu, or Back Street, in Klang. Today, it is known as Jalan Stesen Satu. In the early 60s and 70s, Jalan Melayu was famous for its food offerings. Every morning, the place was full of vibrancy and bustled with activity. Stalls and shops sold fragrant chicken rice balls, Hainanese curry rice, noodles, cendol, Chinese medicine, cloth, shoes, jewellery, clocks, and watches. In the back alleys and along the sidewalks, there were barbers, cobblers and clog sellers. There was a famous Chinese sinseh (traditional doctor) whom people from near and far would wait one to two hours just to consult. My mum used to help relatives by getting them a queue number to save time. The first bak kut teh shop originated from this street. It was along this very street that my parents would push their fruit cart from Rembau Street (now known as Jalan Tengku Kelana), where we lived, to sell fruits, starfruit drink, pickled fruits, and cigarettes like Three Five, Rothmans, Camel, and Lucky Strike. My father used to send me to kindergarten (now known as the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes) and later to Convent School (now SRK Convent and SMK Convent Klang) on his old bicycle. The writer's father, Chan (pic), valued education and was proud when she gained admission to Universiti Malaya. He understood the importance of a good education. Being uneducated himself, he would point to the red marks in my school report book and ask me what subjects they were. I would lie and say they were "unimportant" subjects like Physical Education, Art or Moral Studies. The truth came out when he attended the school's Open Day. Mrs P Jambunathan, my class teacher, told him that I always failed Mathematics and Bahasa Melayu. After that, my dad sent me for tuition classes for those subjects. In those days, it was costly, as he only earned a few ringgit a day. He used to buy me The New Straits Times, and later The Star newspaper, so I could improve my English. I could feel how proud he was when I finally got a place to study at Universiti Malaya. My mum helped my dad at the fruit stall. Every day was a 8am to 9pm stretch of hard work, rain or shine. She still had to come home to cook and clean for the whole family in between. My three brothers and I were looked after by relatives who stayed in the same row of shophouses. Even during Chinese New Year or other special occasions, it was work as usual for my parents. Back then, I couldn't understand why they never took a day off. Only when I grew older did I realise that a day of rest meant a day without income. The writer (second from right) with her mother, Tiew Cho (first from left), and her three young daughters. — Photos: CHAN YEE AI My mum even tried to earn some extra money. She would sew press-stud buttons or hooks on new saree blouses, which she got from Indian tailors. These tailors were always stationed outside the cloth shops along Jalan Melayu with their sewing machines, waiting for customers. All those years of hard work took a toll on her health. She developed high blood pressure and diabetes. All these sacrifices my parents made for me and my siblings may be similar to what other parents did for their children. But what made my parents truly special is that they were my adoptive parents. I was adopted from a relative when I was just two to three months old. My adoptive parents never hesitated to spend money on me so I could have a better life than they did. Love never discriminates. Though they have both passed on, I am forever grateful to them and deeply indebted. Happy Parents Day to all parents.

Jeju Air jet still had a working engine when it crashed, investigation update says
Jeju Air jet still had a working engine when it crashed, investigation update says

The Star

time13 hours ago

  • The Star

Jeju Air jet still had a working engine when it crashed, investigation update says

SEOUL (Reuters) -A Jeju Air plane that crashed in December during an emergency landing after a bird strike could have kept flying on the damaged engine that was still working after pilots shut down the other one, according to an update from South Korean investigators. The Boeing 737-800 instead belly-landed at Muan airport without its landing gear down, overshot the runway and erupted into a fireball after slamminginto an embankment, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. Investigators have not yet produced a final report into the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil, but information about the plane's two engines has begun to emerge. According to a July 19 update prepared by investigators and seen by Reuters but not publicly released following complaints from victims' family members, the left engine sustained less damage than the right following a bird strike, but the left engine was shut down 19 seconds after the bird strike. The right engine experienced a "surge" and emitted flames and black smoke, but investigators said it "was confirmed to be generating output sufficient for flight," in the five-page update, which included post-crash photos of both engines. No reason for the crew's actions was given and the probe is expected to last months as investigators reconstruct the plane's technical state and the picture understood by its pilots. Experts say most air accidents are caused by multiple factors and caution against putting too much weight on incomplete evidence. MORE QUESTIONS So far, public attention has focused on the possibility that the crew may have shut down the less-damaged engine, rekindling memories of a 1989 Boeing 737-400 crash in Kegworth, England, where pilots shut down a non-damaged engine by mistake. The disaster led to multiple changes in regulations including improvements in crew communication and emergency procedures. A source told Reuters on Monday that the South Korea-led probe had "clear evidence" that pilots had shut off the less-damaged left engine after the bird strike, citing the cockpit voice recorder, computer data and a switch found in the wreckage. But the latest update on the crash also raises the possibility that even the more heavily damaged engine that was still running could have kept the plane aloft for longer. It did not say what level of performance the operating engine still had, nor what extra options that might have given to the plane's emergency-focused crew before the jet doubled back and landed in the opposite direction of the runway from its initial plan with its landing gear up. Both engines contained bird strike damage and both experienced engine vibrations after the strike. The right engine showed significant internal damage, the Korean-language update from South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) said, but it did not describe the damage found in the left engine. The update did not say how the left engine was operating nor the state of systems connected to either engine, said former U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Greg Feith when shown the document translated by Reuters. It contains some new facts but omits far more,resulting in a "cryptic" document, he said. ARAIB, which plans to issue a final report next June, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Safety experts say it is common for early reports to contain sparse facts and limited analysis while investigations continue. A preliminary report released in January said feathers and blood stains from ducks were found in both engines. The engines - made by CFM International, jointly owned by GE and France's Safran - were examined in May and no defects or fault datawere found beyond the bird and crash damage, the report said. Families of those who died in the disaster were briefed on the engine findings but asked investigators not to release the July 19 report, saying that it appeared to apportion blame to the pilots without exploring other factors. The report was withheld but Reuters and South Korean media obtained and GE referred questions about the crash to ARAIB. Safran did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jeju Air has previously said it is cooperating with ARAIB and is awaiting publication of the investigation. Under global aviation rules, civil air investigations aim to discover crash causes without assigning blame or liability. The Jeju Air pilots' union said ARAIB was "misleading the public" by suggesting there was no problem with the left engine given that bird remains were found in both. A source who attended the briefing told Reuters that investigators told family members the left engine also experienced a disruptive "surge," citing black box data. The pilot union and representatives of bereaved families have asked that evidence be released to support any findings. Relatives say the investigation also needs to focus on the embankment containing navigation equipment, which safety experts have said likely contributed to the high death toll. Global aviation standards call for any navigation equipment in line with runways to be installed on structures that easily give way in case of impact with an aircraft. South Korea's transport ministry has identified seven domestic airports, including Muan, with structures made of concrete or steel, rather than materials that break apart on impact and has said it will improve them. Designs for the new structures are in progress, a ministry official told Reuters last week. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington and Heekyong Yang in Seoul and Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Additional reporting by Hyunjoo Jin in Seoul; Editing by Jamie Freed)

The schoolteacher who helped build a multiracial army
The schoolteacher who helped build a multiracial army

New Straits Times

time15 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

The schoolteacher who helped build a multiracial army

IN the sweltering heat of July 1952, a young schoolteacher from Batu Pahat, Johor, folded away his lesson plans, turned in his chalks and made a choice that would alter the course of his life — and etch his name into Malaysia's military history. Peter Ng Boon Hwa was just 21 when he came across a newspaper advertisement calling for officer cadets. It wasn't just any recruitment notice — it was a quiet turning point in the making of a multiracial army. The Federation Regiment Bill had just passed on July 3, opening the door for non-Malay youths — for the first time — to serve in defence of a still-forming nation. Two years earlier, Peter had tried to enlist, but options were few: the Malay Regiment or the British Army. Neither path was suitable for someone like him. Now, in the flicker of an ad, that barrier was gone. And he could step up to answer the call of duty. It wasn't a decision made lightly. In Chinese families, cultural warnings loomed large: good sons don't join the army... for they may return in a wooden box. But Peter chose to go anyway. He left the safety of the classroom for the unknown of the parade ground, trading books for boots, guided not by rebellion, but by a quiet sense of duty and the hope of something larger — the birth of a nation. After a rigorous selection at the Malay Regiment headquarters in Port Dickson, Peter was eventually among the 12 young men handpicked by General Sir Gerald Templer, the British high commissioner of Malaya, to serve as an officer in the new regiment. They would become the founding pioneers of what was to be Malaysia's multiracial armed force — a group history would come to know as the "Templer Superb-12". On Aug 13, 1952, the officer cadets were personally welcomed by Templer at The King's House in Kuala Lumpur. From Port Dickson's 5th Mile Coast Road to Eaton Hall in Cheshire, England, their journey began in earnest. After basic training in the Pre-Officer Cadet Training Unit (Pre-OCTU) in Port Dickson, Peter was sent to England for further training. On Sept 5, 1953, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and posted to the 1st Federation Regiment. His tall and commanding presence earned him a rare honour — appointment as aide-de-camp (ADC) to Lt-Gen Sir Harold Briggs, commander of the Federation Division. He served with distinction before returning to active duty as a troop commander in his regiment. In the mid-1950s, the Emergency was raging. On May 25, 1956, Peter was selected for a jungle warfare course at the elite Far East Land Forces Training Centre. He would later bring these battlefield skills to real-life conflict zones and beyond Malaysia's borders. In 1960, he completed his Company Commander's Course and was promoted to major in the 2nd Royal Cavalry Regiment, commanding a recce squadron. A year later, he was deployed to Belgian Congo as part of the Malayan Peacekeeping Force, which was tasked with restoring law and order during one of Africa's most volatile civil conflicts. Yet, even amid the chaos of war in the country, Peter remained a soldier of spirit and adventure. In true "soldier of fortune" fashion, he fulfilled his boyhood dream of going on a safari and returning home with two massive elephant tusks that would later be mounted at his regimental headquarters as a symbol of valour and morale. By the late 1960s, Malaysia faced renewed communist threats. After completing his Senior Officers' Course at the Army War College in Mhow, India in 1967, Peter was transferred to the Royal Rangers Regiment as the second-in-command. He would serve on the frontlines during the second Emergency (1968-1989), once again defending his homeland in the dense jungles of Malaysia. His leadership extended beyond national borders. One of his career highlights was training south Vietnamese troops in counter-guerilla warfare at the request of the United States army to resist the communist advances during the Vietnam War. It was a mission shaped by the global urgency of the Cold War and the "Domino Theory" propounded by then president Dwight D. Eisenhower. Peter rose to the occasion with quiet resolve and duty. LIFE OF SACRIFICE In June 1980, after decades of service, Peter was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and appointed commanding officer of the 304 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army). His task was to secure the newly constructed East-West Highway linking Grik in Perak to Jeli in Kelantan. Stationed on a hilltop overlooking Pulau Banding and its bridge, he led with vigilance and calm assurance. I had the honour of visiting him in April 1981 — his camp, maintained by my army engineers, stood as a testament to his enduring commitment to service. Though Peter retired on Aug 26, 1983, after 31 years of distinguished service, his influence never waned. Known affectionately as "Peter Boon" by his peers, he was admired for his humility, warmth and unwavering principles. As a senior major for 20 years, he was more than just a rank — he was a moral compass, a decision-maker and a true officer of the nation. I came to know him during my years at the Taiping Garrison, between 1978 and 1980, while overseeing the construction of 288 Class G married quarters. Peter was the administrator then — a commanding figure who led not with noise or display, but with quiet authority, warmth and unwavering fairness. His presence was steady. His kindness unspoken, but deeply felt. For his decades of distinguished service to king and country, he was awarded the Kesatria Mangku Negara (KMN) — a fitting honour for a man who gave so much, and asked for so little. On March 1, 2020, Peter passed away peacefully at the age of 89 in Penang General Hospital, on what was poignantly the 87th anniversary of Army Day. He leaves behind five children — three sons and two daughters — and 12 grandchildren, a number that echoes the symbolic "12" of the Templer Superb-12, to which he proudly belonged. Of that founding cohort, only two remain today: Lt-Gen Datuk Abdullah Samsuddin, 95, and Lt-Col Khong Kim Kong, 94. Their numbers may dwindle, but their legacy stands — etched in barracks and battlefields, in classrooms and parade grounds, and in the quiet courage of men like Peter. As Malaysia marks Hari Pahlawan on July 31, we remember not just a soldier, but a pioneer. A patriot. An officer and a gentleman. We salute you, Sir.

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