At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force jet crashes into Dhaka school
A BANGLADESH Air Force jet crashed into a college in the capital Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 19 people, according to emergency officials, in the country’s deadliest air crash in recent memory.
The crash at Milestone School and College campus, in the Diabari neighborhood of northern Dhaka, injured more than 100 others, according to a spokesperson for the country’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus. At least 83 of those survivors – mostly students – were being treated in hospitals in the capital, some “in critical condition,” the spokesperson added.
The plane’s pilot was among those killed, The Associated Press reported, citing regional officials.
Scores of people rushed towards the crash site, where emergency crews could be seen trying to extinguish the smoking wreckage of the jet.
The government has announced a day of mourning and special prayers, according to state media, BSS News.
“I express my deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident of casualties caused by the crash,” Yunus wrote in a post on X.
“This is a moment of profound pain for the nation. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and direct all concerned authorities, including hospitals, to address the situation with the utmost priority.”
"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," he said.
The pilot was among those killed in the incident, the military said, adding that a committee had been formed to investigate its cause.
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 Chengdu F-7 is the licence-built version of the Soviet MiG-21.
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, footage filmed by Reuters showed.
"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.
Images from the scene 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 realised 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.
The incident comes a little over a month after an Air India plane crashed on top of a medical college hostel in neighbouring 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.
