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Herald Malaysia
01-08-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Church mourns deaths in Bangladesh military plane crash
In Bangladesh, grief and shock gripped the capital, Dhaka, after a military jet crashed into Milestone School and College on July 21, killing at least 31 and injuring more than 170. Aug 01, 2025 Students hold placards and pictures of a victim as they protest July 22, 2025, demanding the actual number of the death toll after an air force training aircraft crashed into a building belonging to Milestone School and College in Dhaka, Bangladesh July 21. (OSV News/Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain DHAKA: In Bangladesh, grief and shock gripped the capital, Dhaka, after a military jet crashed into Milestone School and College on July 21, killing at least 31 and injuring more than 170. Most of the victims were students who were just leaving class when the F-7 fighter slammed into the building, sparking a deadly fire. Pope Leo XIV said he was 'deeply saddened' to learn of 'the loss of life' caused by the air force jet crash in Bangladesh. The Pope said in a July 22 telegram that he 'entrusts the deceased to the merciful love of the Almighty' and was also 'praying that their families and friends may be consoled in their grief, and for the healing and comfort of the injured.' The telegram, signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, said, 'The Holy Father invokes upon the entire school community, and all affected by this tragedy, the divine blessings of peace and strength.' After the crash, a portion of the school caught fire, killing dozens. Of the more than 170 injured, at least 76 people were undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Dhaka, local health authorities said. A sense of grief and desperation engulfed Dhaka's Uttara district as anguished families searched desperately for their loved ones. Parents rushed between the crash site, hospitals and morgues in a frantic attempt to locate their children, the paper said. In a July 22 letter to the Bangladesh government, Archbishop Kevin Randall, apostolic nuncio to Dhaka, expressed 'profound sorrow' upon learning of the tragic plane crash, which resulted 'in the loss of precious lives, the majority of whom were children, and injury to others.' The nuncio offered his condolences to 'the bereaved families and to the entire nation,' offering 'prayers and spiritual closeness.' 'May the Almighty grant eternal rest to the departed, especially the young lives so suddenly taken, healing to the injured, and strength and consolation to all who are affected by this painful tragedy,' Archbishop Randall said. One of the parents, who was on his way to pick up his child from school when the plane crashed, said that luckily, he found his child unharmed. Sharif Ahmed said that it was 'a terrifying moment' that he 'cannot express in words.' 'Children were coming out of the school with their bodies on fire, crying all around, parents were running around like crazy. I was also looking for my son. But when I found my son unharmed, he was silent for at least 10 minutes, unable to say anything out of fear,' said Ahmed. The Bangladesh bishops' conference also expressed condolences in a statement, urging the government to provide full support for the treatment of the injured and those who lost loved ones. Bishop Ponen Paul Kubi, the conference's secretary general, called for prayers and urged authorities to take measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Hundreds of students protested on July 22 near the site of the crash demanding accountability, compensation for victims' families and the halt of training flights. --OSV
Straits Times
22-07-2025
- Straits Times
How did a Bangladesh air force fighter jet crash into a school campus?
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Students hold placards as they protest, demanding revelation of actual number of death toll, after an air force training aircraft crashed into a building belonging to Milestone School and College, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 22, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain 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-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. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22 Singapore Miscalculation of MOH subsidies and grants led to $7m in overpayments, $2m in shortfalls Singapore Changi Airport handles 17.5 million passengers in Q2 2025 Singapore 2 charged over alleged involvement in posting of bail for man who subsequently absconded Singapore Teen charged after allegedly selling vaporisers, advertising e-cigarettes on WhatsApp Life Having a workout partner could be the secret to sticking to your fitness goals Singapore 2,500 turtles seized in India and sent back to S'pore, put down humanely after salmonella detected Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving 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. REUTERS
Express Tribune
22-07-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Bangladesh air force jet crash kills 27, mostly children
Members of Bangladesh Airforce investigate on the site, after an air force training aircraft crashed into a building belong to Milestone School and College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 22, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain At least 25 children were among the 27 dead pulled from scorched buildings after a Bangladesh Air Force jet on a training mission crashed into a college and school campus in Dhaka, officials said on Tuesday, with 88 people being treated in hospital. The F-7 BGI aircraft crashed soon after it took off at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) on Monday from the airbase in Kurmitola in the capital on a routine training mission. The military said the plane experienced a mechanical failure. Visuals showed rescue workers scouring the charred buildings for debris as distressed family members surrounded the site. Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser on health, told reporters that 27 people had died and 88 were admitted to hospital with burn injuries. Those dead included 25 children, a teacher and the pilot. Read: Runway closed as Air India jet skids off during landing The government announced a day of mourning, with flags at half-mast and special prayers at all places of worship. The F-7 BGI is the final and most advanced variant in China's Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft family, according to Jane's Information Group. Bangladesh signed a contract for 16 aircraft in 2011 and deliveries were completed by 2013. The incident comes as neighbour India is still grappling with the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade after an Air India plane crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad last month, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground.
GMA Network
21-07-2025
- General
- GMA Network
At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes into college campus
Firefighters and soldiers work next to the wreckage of an air force training aircraft after it crashed into Milestone College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 21, 2025. REUTERS/ Stringer DHAKA — At least 19 people were killed as a Bangladesh air force training aircraft crashed into a college and school campus in the capital city of Dhaka on Monday, a fire services official said. More than 50 people, including children and adults, were hospitalized with burns, a doctor at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery told reporters. The incident occurred at the Milestone School and College in Dhaka's northern area of Uttara, officials said. "Bangladesh Air Force's F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara. The aircraft took off at 13:06 (0706 GMT)," the military's public relations department said in a statement. Videos of the aftermath of the crash showed a big fire near a lawn emitting a thick plume of smoke into the sky, as crowds watched from a distance. Firefighters sprayed water on the mangled remains of the plane, which appeared to have rammed into the side of a building, damaging iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the structure, Reuters TV visuals showed. An ambulance carries injured people after an air force training aircraft crashed into Milestone College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 21, 2025. REUTERS/ Mohammad Ponir Hossain "A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital," said Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where some victims were taken. Visuals also showed people screaming and crying as others tried to comfort them. "When I was picking [up] my kids and went to the gate, I realized something came from behind...I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke," said Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school. Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh's interim government, said "necessary measures" would be taken to investigate the cause of the accident and "ensure all kinds of assistance". "The loss suffered by the Air parents, teachers and staff, and others in this accident is irreparable," he said. The incident comes a little over a month after an Air India plane crashed on top of a medical college hostel in neighboring India's Ahmedabad city, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, marking the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. — Reuters
The Standard
12-06-2025
- General
- The Standard
Wars now displace over 122 million people as aid funding falls, UN says
Rohingya refugees gather at roadside kitchen market, at the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, March 15, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File Photo
