At Least 19 Killed as Military Plane Crashes into Bangladesh School Campus
At least 19 people, including children, were killed and over 100 injured after a Bangladesh Air Force training jet plummeted into a packed school campus in the northern suburb of Uttara, Dhaka, on Monday afternoon.
The ill-fated F-7 BGI aircraft, a Chinese-made fighter trainer used by the Bangladesh Air Force, reportedly crashed into Milestone School and College shortly after takeoff at 13:06 local time.
The impact triggered a massive blaze, sending thick plumes of black smoke towering over the skyline, as horrified witnesses watched the tragedy unfold.
The pilot was confirmed dead by the armed forces, which said the jet lost control during a routine training sortie.
“We saw the aircraft come down and strike the building directly,” said Rezaul Islam, a teacher at the school, speaking to BBC Bangla. “There was an explosion, then only smoke and fire,” added fellow teacher Masud Tarik, who witnessed the moment of impact.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene with nine firefighting units and six ambulances. Graphic images from the site showed fire crews battling the blaze and carrying away victims from charred debris.
More than 50 people, including both students and staff, are currently being treated for severe burns, according to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
Authorities fear the death toll could rise, as several of the injured remain in critical condition. There is also confusion over the exact number of fatalities, with different government sources offering conflicting figures.
The school caters to children aged between four and eighteen. Survivors described scenes of panic and chaos as the aircraft slammed into classrooms in the middle of a regular school day.
“It hit right in front of my eyes,” a visibly shaken student told local reporters.
In response to the catastrophe, Bangladesh’s interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus expressed his condolences and vowed a full investigation.
“This is a moment of profound national grief,” Yunus said in a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter). “All necessary assistance will be provided to the victims. Hospitals and authorities have been instructed to act with utmost urgency.”
To honor the victims, the Bangladeshi government has declared a national day of mourning on Tuesday, with flags to be flown at half-mast.
As questions swirl around the cause of the crash—one of the deadliest peacetime aviation disasters involving a military aircraft in the country’s history—investigators are expected to begin examining the jet’s flight data and maintenance records
