22-07-2025
At least 19 killed as Bangladesh Air Force plane crashes into Dhaka school
DHAKA
A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school campus in the capital, Dhaka, shortly after takeoff on Monday, killing at least 19 people including the pilot and injuring more than 100, officials said.
According to the military and a fire official, the Chinese-made F-7 BGI aircraft crashed into the campus of Milestone School and College, in the Uttara neighbourhood, in the afternoon as students were attending classes.
The Fire Service and Civil Defense said that at least 19 people, mostly students, died and another 116 were rescued with injuries. A significant number sustained burn injuries.
The government announced a national day of mourning on Tuesday, with flags to fly at half-staff across the country.
The military said the jet took off from Bangladesh Air Force Base AK Khandaker in Dhaka's Kurmitola neighbourhood at 1:06 pm local time and crashed soon after, catching fire immediately.
It said the aircraft 'experienced a technical malfunction,' but that a high-level committee within the Air Force would conduct an investigation to determine the cause.
Flight Lieutenant Md. Toukir Islam, made 'every effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas toward a more sparsely inhabited location,' the military said.
'Unfortunately, the aircraft crashed into a two-story building' within the school.
Local media indicated most of the injured were students. Relatives panicked at the scene as rescuers, using tricycle rickshaws or whatever was available, transported the injured to local hospitals.
