Bangladesh jet crash: military aircraft accident kills 31, including 25 school children

South China Morning Post

4 days ago

A Bangladesh Air Force jet slammed into the Milestone School and College in the capital city Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 31 people - including 25 children, most very young. Some 165 were left injured, the armed forces public relations directorate (ISPR) said Tuesday. This is the country's deadliest air incident in recent memory.
Here is a look at what happened.
How did the crash occur?
The fighter aircraft took off at 1:06 pm local time from the air force base in Dhaka's Kurmitola for a routine training mission.
But it experienced a mechanical failure soon after. The pilot attempted to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas to minimise civilian casualties and damage, but his efforts were unsuccessful and the jet crashed into a building.
Where did the plane go down?
The two-storey building that the plane rammed into belonged to the Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Diabari area, located about 10km (6 miles) from the air force base.
Visuals from the scene showed the aircraft's mangled remains dented into the side of the building, dismantling its iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the structure.
Mohammed Russell shows a cellphone photo of his nephew, Md Ashikur Rahman Umair, who died when a military training jet crashed into an educational institution in Dhaka on July 23, 2025. Photo: AFP
How many people were killed and injured?
The bodies of at least 27 people, including 25 children, a teacher, and the jet's pilot, were pulled out from the debris on Monday. By Tuesday, the death toll had reached 31, including those who succumbed to injuries. More than 165 people were injured, with an on-duty doctor at Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital saying most were aged between 10 and 15 years old.
Which aircraft was involved?
The jet was an F-7 fighter aircraft - the final and most advanced variant in China's Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft family, according to Jane's Information Group. Bangladesh had signed a contract in 2011 for 16 such planes, and deliveries were completed by 2013.
Bangladeshi students shout slogans and hold placards near the crash site. Photo: EPA
How has the country reacted?
The Bangladesh Air Force formed a high-level investigation committee to probe the cause of the accident.
Flags flew at half mast across the country in a day of mourning for the victims on Tuesday. Hundreds of students gathered to demand answers. Witnesses were still visibly shaken by the horror they had seen the day before.
Bangladesh's interim government leader Muhammad Yunus said on Monday that, 'I have no words. I don't know how to begin.'
'None of us ever imagined it. It wasn't within anyone's expectations. But we had to suddenly accept this unbelievable reality,' Yunus said in a video message.
'What answer can we give to their parents? What can we possibly say to them? We can't even answer ourselves,' he said.
Additional reporting by CNN