Latest news with #Bangladesh Air Force
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'I did my best': Teacher dies after rescuing 20 kids from Bangladesh plane crash
'I did my best': Teacher dies after rescuing 20 kids from Bangladesh plane crash "Those kids are my kids too," Mahreen Chowdhury told her husband as she lay dying in hospital. Just hours earlier, the teacher had been standing at the entrance to Milestone School and College in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka, preparing to hand the second- to fifth-grade students over to their parents. But in a split second, what had been an unremarkable Monday lunchtime turned to horror. A Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crashed into a two-storey building, bursting into flames. Chowdhury - realising there were students still in the building's classrooms - ran back into the burning wreckage. ADVERTISEMENT "I did my best to pull out about 20 to 25 people - as much as I could," Chowdhury's husband Mansur Helal recalls her saying, moments before she was put on ventilation at the intensive care unit of Dhaka's National Burn Institute. "I don't know what happened after that." Chowdhury died later on Monday: in the process of rescuing the children, she had suffered burns to almost 100% of her body. She was among the at least 31 people killed in the accident - 25 of whom are children. Monday's crash marks the deadliest aviation disaster Bangladesh has seen in decades [Getty Images] Bangladesh's armed forces said that the F7 jet had experienced a mechanical fault after taking off for a training exercise just after 13:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Monday, and that the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md. Taukir Islam, had tried to steer to a less crowded area. He was among those killed. ADVERTISEMENT The crash marks the deadliest aviation disaster the country has seen in decades. More than 160 people were injured, with an on-duty doctor at the Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital saying most were aged between 10 and 15 years old, many suffering from jet fuel burns. More than 50, including children and adults, were taken to hospital with burns, a doctor at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery said. Mr Helal told BBC Bangla that he first called his wife after hearing the news of the plane crash. When she didn't answer, he asked his eldest son to go to the school and find out what had happened. Soon after, he received a call from an ambulance driver telling him that his wife was being taken to the burns unit at Uttara Modern Medical Hospital. She would later be taken to the ICU. At least 25 children were killed after the plane crashed into the school and burst into flames [Getty Images] Mr Helal said Chowdhury apologised to him from her hospital bed, shortly before being placed on ventilation. As he recalled their final moments together, he broke down in tears. ADVERTISEMENT "She was still alive. She spoke the highest words with great mental strength. Because almost its hundred percent burn inner and outer," he said. Chowdhury worked at Milestone School and College for 17 years, having first joined as a teacher before being promoted to become a coordinator in the Bangla department for classes two to five. She was buried on Tuesday in her home district of Nilphamari, in northern Bangladesh, as flags flew at half mast across the country in a day of mourning for the victims. Hundreds of protesters have called for crash victims to be named and compensation for victims' families, among other things [Getty Images] Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladesh's interim government, has said that an investigation committee has been formed to look into the incident. Across Dhaka on Tuesday, hundreds of protesting students took to the streets to demand an accurate death toll and the resignation of the education adviser – many of them breaking through the main gate of the federal government secretariat, according to local TV footage. ADVERTISEMENT Police fired tear gas and used sound grenades to disperse the crowd, leaving dozens of people injured, witnesses said. The protesters called for the crash victims to be named, as well as compensation for victims' families, the decommissioning of what they said were old and dangerous jets, and a change to air force training procedures. The Bangladesh air disaster comes just weeks after neighbouring India witnessed the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. An Air India passenger plane bound for London's Gatwick airport crashed shortly after taking off in Ahmedabad, western India, on 12 June, killing 260 people. The crash killed 242 people on board the flight and 19 others on the ground, with only one survivor from the plane.
Times of Oman
22-07-2025
- General
- Times of Oman
Death toll rises to 31, mostly students, after plane crashes into Dhaka school
Dhaka: The death toll from the crash of a Bangladesh Air Force training jet into a school in Dhaka has risen to 31, most of whom are pupils, officials said on Tuesday. The F-7BGI fighter jet crashed into the two-storey Milestone School and College in the north of the capital on Monday. The armed forces said in the afternoon that the death toll had risen to 31, without giving details. Twenty deaths and some 171 wounded were reported on Monday. Seven more people died of their injuries overnight. The crash occurred minutes after the plane took off on Monday afternoon, according to the Bangladeshi military. The pilot of the training aircraft noticed a technical malfunction soon after it took off from Dhaka's Kurmitola airbase. At the time of the crash, many children were still at the school, which teaches children from elementary class up to 12th grade. The government announced a day of national mourning today. The national flag has been lowered to half-mast at all public and private institutions.
Reuters
22-07-2025
- General
- Reuters
How did a Bangladesh air force fighter jet crash into a school campus?
NEW DELHI, July 22 (Reuters) - At least 25 children were among the 27 people killed when a Bangladesh Air Force plane crashed into a college and school campus in the capital city of Dhaka on Monday. Here is a look at what happened. The fighter aircraft took off at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) from the air force base in Dhaka's Kurmitola for a routine training mission, but experienced a mechanical failure soon after. The pilot attempted to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas to minimize civilian casualties and damage, but his efforts were unsuccessful and the jet crashed into a building. The two-storey building that the plane rammed into belonged to the Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Diabari area, located about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the air force base. Visuals from the scene showed the mangled remains of the aircraft dented into the side of the building, dismantling its iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the structure. The bodies of at least 27 people, including 25 children, a teacher, and the jet's pilot, were pulled out from the debris. More than 100 children and 15 other people were also injured, of whom 78 are still admitted in hospitals with burn injuries. 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. The Bangladesh Air Force has formed a high-level investigation committee to probe the cause of the accident. Muhammad Yunus, the head of the country's interim government, has also vowed to "take all necessary measures" to investigate its cause. In the meantime, the government says it is providing "all kinds of assistance" to those affected.
Arab News
22-07-2025
- General
- Arab News
How did a Bangladesh air force fighter jet crash into a school campus?
NEW DELHI: At least 25 children were among the 27 people killed when a Bangladesh Air Force plane crashed into a college and school campus in the capital city of Dhaka on Monday. Here is a look at what happened. HOW DID THE CRASH OCCUR? The fighter aircraft took off at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) from the air force base in Dhaka's Kurmitola for a routine training mission, but experienced a mechanical failure soon after. The pilot attempted to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas to minimize civilian casualties and damage, but his efforts were unsuccessful and the jet crashed into a building. WHERE DID THE PLANE GO DOWN? The two-story building that the plane rammed into belonged to the Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Diabari area, located about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the air force base. Visuals from the scene showed the mangled remains of the aircraft dented into the side of the building, dismantling its iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the structure. HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE KILLED? The bodies of at least 27 people, including 25 children, a teacher, and the jet's pilot, were pulled out from the debris. More than 100 children and 15 other people were also injured, of whom 78 are still admitted in hospitals with burn injuries. WHICH AIRCRAFT WAS INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT? 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. HOW HAVE AUTHORITIES REACTED? The Bangladesh Air Force has formed a high-level investigation committee to probe the cause of the accident. Muhammad Yunus, the head of the country's interim government, has also vowed to 'take all necessary measures' to investigate its cause. In the meantime, the government says it is providing 'all kinds of assistance' to those affected.
News.com.au
22-07-2025
- News.com.au
At least 20 dead as military plane crashes into school in Bangladesh
At least 20 people, mostly students, have died and over 170 have been injured after a military training aircraft crashed into a school campus in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka. The Air Force plane was taking part in a routine training mission when it experienced a mechanical issue and hit the Milestone School and College campus in the Uttara neighbourhood in the city's north on Monday afternoon. Bangladesh Air Force's F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1.06pm local time (5.06pm AEST) from the military base in Kurmitola, and crashed shortly afterwards. A military statement said 20 people were killed, including the pilot, and 171 others were injured. Many of the victims were young students who had just been let out of class. 'The pilot … made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas. Despite his best efforts, the aircraft … crashed into a two-storey building belonging to Milestone school and college,' military spokesperson Lt Col Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury said. At least 83 people are undergoing treatment in several hospitals, many of them with burns, the office of Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus said. The well-known private school offers education to children from kindergarten through to senior secondary. Most of the injured were aged between eight and 14. 'Created a boom' An intense fire and thick smoke can be seen engulfing part of the building in video footage taken in the aftermath of the crash. An AFP photographer at the scene saw fire and rescue officials taking away the injured students on stretchers. A witness said he heard a huge blast that felt like an earthquake. 'We have two playgrounds, one for the senior students and one for the juniors,' said Shafiur Rahman Shafi, 18, a student of the school. 'We were on the playground for the seniors. Suddenly one of the two fighter planes crashed here (in the junior playground),' he told AFP. 'It created a boom, and it felt like a quake. Then it caught fire, and the army reached the spot later.' Tofazzal Hossain, 30, broke down in tears on learning that his young cousin had been killed. 'We frantically searched for my cousin in different hospitals,' Hossain told AFP. 'He was an eighth grader. Finally, we found his body.' 'Profound pain for the nation' The interim government announced a day of national mourning on Tuesday. Grieving parents and relatives of the victims thronged the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in the capital, local media reported. Many were trying to identify their children by their uniform and other belongings. 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.' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was 'deeply shocked and saddened at the loss of lives' in Dhaka. Relations between the neighbours have been strained since protesters in Bangladesh last year ousted leader Sheikh Hasina, an old ally of New Delhi. 'India stands in solidarity with Bangladesh and is ready to extend all possible support and assistance,' Mr Modi wrote on X. The crash was the deadliest aviation accident in the country in several decades. The deadliest ever disaster happened in 1984 when a plane flying from Chattogram to Dhaka crashed, killing all 49 on board. Last month, a commercial aircraft crashed in neighbouring India, killing 260 people.
