Dhaka: A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school building in Dhaka’s Uttara area on Monday, killing at least 16 people, most of them children, and injuring several others, officials said. The jet, identified as an F-7 BGI, went down shortly after taking off at 1:06 pm and slammed into the Milestone School and College campus, according to a statement from the defence ministry.
Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Health Ministry, confirmed the death toll and said most victims were students present on campus at the time of the crash.
Police said emergency response teams, including fire brigades, ambulances, and air force helicopters, were deployed to the site immediately. A teacher at the school reported that dozens of injured victims were being transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The aircraft crashed on a campus of the Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara area in the afternoon. A fire service official said the aircraft exploded on impact and was quickly engulfed in flames. Eyewitnesses described hearing a loud bang before the fire broke out.
The Bangladesh Army’s public relations office confirmed in a brief statement that the downed F-7 BGI aircraft belonged to the Air Force.
Fire official Lima Khan stated by phone that at least one person died and four others were injured, though she did not provide further details.
According to police, ambulances and air force helicopters rushed to the scene. After crashing, the aircraft caught fire. The rising smoke could be seen from quite a distance. Eight Fire Service units rushed to the spot to put out the blaze.
“The training aircraft crashed at the Milestone School and College in Diabari. Our team has recovered one body. The Air Force has rescued four people with injuries and taken them away,” bdnews24 quoted Lima Khanam, duty officer at the Fire Service Central Control Room, as saying.
