At least 27 dead, mostly children, in Bangladesh air force jet crash
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
At least 27 dead, mostly children, in Bangladesh air force jet crash
The F-7 BGI aircraft crashed soon after it took off from the airbase in Kurmitola in the capital on a routine training mission. The military said the plane experienced a mechanical failure.
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, Reuters reported.
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, according to Reuters.
Bangladesh Air Crash Horror: ‘It Was Fire Everywhere’, Say Survivors; Death Toll Hits 27
A Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crashed into a school campus in Dhaka on Monday (July 21), claiming at least 27 lives. The community around Milestone School and College in the Uttara neighbourhood now grapples with unimaginable grief. The F-7 BGI training jet had taken off from the Kurmitola Air Force Base at 1:06pm. Minutes later, it developed a mechanical fault. Despite what many believe was the pilot’s attempt to steer clear of dense areas, the jet plunged into the school premises, crashing into a two-storey building and setting off a massive blaze. Teachers, students, and parents — many of whom were at the school gates waiting to pick up their children — were caught off guard by the deafening impact.
The F-7 BGI training jet had taken off from the Kurmitola Air Force Base at 1:06pm. Minutes later, it developed a mechanical fault. Despite what many believe was the pilot’s attempt to steer clear of dense areas, the jet plunged into the school premises, crashing into a two-storey building and setting off a massive blaze.
The classrooms that once echoed with children’s laughter turned into scenes of smoke, fire and panic. Teachers, students, and parents — many of whom were at the school gates waiting to pick up their children — were caught off guard by the deafening impact.
‘There Was Only Fire, Then Smoke’
“I was in the canteen when I heard a huge bang,” recalled Ahmed, a student at the school. “The plane hit the building and then crashed onto another structure. There was fire everywhere. People were screaming… so many younger students were caught in it.”
Rezaul Islam, a teacher, witnessed the jet’s final moments. “I saw the plane directly hit the building,” he told reporters. Another teacher, Mizanur Rahman, believes the pilot tried to aim for the open field behind the school. “But he couldn’t make it. The blast was massive… the fire just swept through the area. Many children were outside at the time.”
Masud Tarik, another staff member said, “There were guardians and children all around. It was complete chaos. I only saw fire and smoke when I turned back.”
Lives Lost, Questions Unanswered
At Dhaka Medical College Hospital, families waited in anguish. “My nephew is in the morgue right now,” sobbed one man, his hand on the shoulder of the child’s father. “Where is my son?” the father kept asking.
A teacher, now recovering from burns to his face and hands, described the horror: “There was no warning. In seconds, flames were all around. Everything went dark.”
Hospitals across Dhaka were overwhelmed with casualties. Doctors worked round the clock as terrified parents searched for their children. Eight victims are still in critical condition, doctors said.
At the crash site, 11th grader Estiak Elahi Khan fought through crowds and soldiers. “What I saw… I can’t describe. That’s our school. It’s gone.”
Watching the news, 16-year-old Rafiqa Taha broke down. “It’s my school. We literally saw skin being torn off,” she said.
“When we came out, we saw many students who had been charred,” from her hospital bed, another young survivor whispered to a news channel.
Nation in Mourning
The scale of the tragedy has shaken the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with Bangladesh, and a national day of mourning was declared.
Bangladesh: At least 27 killed as 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 27 people, mostly children, according to officials. The crash at Milestone School and College campus, in the Diabari neighborhood of northern Dhaka, injured 171 others, the Bangladesh Armed Forces said. Most of the injured are students who are being treated in hospitals, the military said. The plane’s pilot made “every effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas toward a more sparsely inhabited location,” the military says. The pilot was among those killed, The Associated Press reported, citing regional officials.Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash and have announced a day of mourning and special prayers for the dead and injured. The BAF F7 jet hit the two-story campus around 1:18 p.m. local time (3:18 a.m EST) after a mechanical fault.
A Bangladesh Air Force jet crashed into a college in the capital Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 27 people, mostly children, according to officials, in the country’s deadliest air incident in recent memory.
The crash at Milestone School and College campus, in the Diabari neighborhood of northern Dhaka, injured 171 others, the Bangladesh Armed Forces said Monday. Most of the injured are students who are being treated in hospitals in the capital, the military said.
Students were attending afternoon classes when the BAF F7 jet hit the two-story campus around 1:18 p.m. local time (3:18 a.m. EST) after a mechanical fault, according to state media BSS News, citing the country’s armed forces.
The plane’s pilot made “every effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas toward a more sparsely inhabited location,” the military said. The pilot was among those killed, The Associated Press reported, citing regional officials.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Of those killed, 25 were children and 78 people are receiving treatment at various hospitals in Dhaka, Dr Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, told reporters on Tuesday.
Scores of people rushed toward the crash site, where emergency crews could be seen trying to extinguish the smoking wreckage of the jet.
The government announced a day of mourning and special prayers, BSS News said.
“I express my deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident of casualties caused by the crash,” the country’s interim leader Muhammad 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,” he added.
‘I only saw fire and smoke’
Eyewitnesses, including the parents of students, recalled huge plumes of ash rising over the school – after a banging sound rang out following the deadly crash.
“When I was picking (up) my kids and went to the gate, I realized something came from behind,” Masud Tarik, also a teacher at the school, told Reuters. “I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke.”
Fire service personnel in Bangladesh clear the remains of an Air Force training jet that crashed into a school, in the capital Dhaka, on July 21. Most of those killed were students. Abdul Goni/AFP via Getty Images
Others watched the chaotic aftermath unfold on TV. “I was terrified watching videos,” Rafiqa Taha, a student at the facility, told The Associated Press.
“My God! It’s my school,” added the 16-year-old.
Milestone College teaches students from ages 4 to 18, according to its website.
Emergency crews carry the body of a person who was killed after the crash in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Monday. Reuters
Video from Bangladesh’s Channel 24 showed smoke billowing as firefighters sprayed water onto the crash site while onlookers gathered around. Other rescue workers searched the rubble.
Video from the hospital shows people being urgently rushed in.
A family member is heard saying his injured sister is a grade four student. Another family member told Channel 24 a first batch of victims arrived at the hospital with severe burns.
“We literally saw skin being torn off,” she said.
A young, injured girl told Channel 24 from her hospital bed: “When we came out, we saw many students who had been charred.”
Condolences came in from across the region with Pakistan and India’s prime ministers expressing their solidarity with Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Mourns As Toll From Jet Crash At School Hits 27
The Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft slammed into the Milestone School and College on Monday. The usually bustling school was eerily quiet on Tuesday morning, with classes cancelled. The military said the pilot, flight lieutenant Towkir Islam, was on a routine training mission when the jet “reportedly encountered a mechanical failure” He tried to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas but, “despite his best efforts”, crashed into the two-storey school building.Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed “deep grief and sorrow” over the incident and declared a day of national mourning. The remnants of the fighter jet were removed on Monday night, but they are still scouring the site for evidence.
Most of the victims were pupils who had just been let out of class when the Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft slammed into the Milestone School and College on Monday.
“So far, 27 people have died. Among them, 25 are children and one is a pilot,” said Sayedur Rahman from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, updating an earlier death toll of 20.
“Seventy-eight people are being treated in different hospitals,” added Rahman, special assistant to the ministry’s chief adviser.
More than 170 people were injured in the crash, said the military which is investigating the cause.
The usually bustling school was eerily quiet on Tuesday morning, with classes cancelled.
“Along with the children, the school has lost its life,” said teacher Shahadat Hossain, whose son narrowly escaped the crash.
“There are two swings in front of the affected building. During lunch breaks and after school, children play there. Even yesterday, around the time the plane crashed, students were on those swings,” the 45-year-old told AFP.
Around 7,000 pupils are enrolled at the school, including Abul Bashar’s sixth-grade son whose best friend was killed.
“He came out just two or three minutes before the accident occurred,” said Bashar.
“He couldn’t sleep through the night and forced me to bring him to school this morning,” the father added, his son standing in silence.
School authorities have collected bags, shoes, and identity cards of children from the site.
Pahn Chakma, a senior police officer, said that armed forces personnel are still sweeping the area.
“They will hand over the place to the police later, and we will then collect evidence, including any human remains or belongings of students and others,” Chakma said.
Air Force personnel on duty said the remnants of the fighter jet were removed on Monday night, but they are still scouring the site for evidence.
“I don’t know how long it will take to return to normalcy, to relieve the children from this trauma,” teacher Hossain said.
On Monday night, school authorities held prayers at the campus.
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed “deep grief and sorrow” over the incident and declared a day of national mourning.
“The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable,” he said.
“This is a moment of profound pain for the nation.”
The military said the pilot, flight lieutenant Towkir Islam, was on a routine training mission when the jet “reportedly encountered a mechanical failure”.
He tried to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas but, “despite his best efforts”, crashed into the two-storey school building, the military said Monday.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Sumy border region injure 14, officials say
Russia has launched an increasing number of attacks on Sumy region. A missile strike in April on the city of Sumy killed 35 people. The region was used by Ukrainian forces as a springboard in a large incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.
The military administration of Sumy region, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said drone strikes in the town of Putyvl, just inside the border, injured 11 people and damaged civilian infrastructure.
Sign up here.
To the southeast, the mayor of the city of Sumy, Artem Kobzar, said a guided bomb attack had injured three people and damaged a multi-storey apartment block, smashing windows and balconies.
Sumy region was used by Ukrainian forces as a springboard in a large incursion nearly a year ago into Russia’s Kursk region. The Kremlin says Ukrainian forces have been ejected from the Russian region, and President Vladimir Putin said Moscow planned to establish a buffer zone in the area.
Russia has launched an increasing number of attacks on Sumy region. A missile strike in April on the city of Sumy killed 35 people.
Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar; Editing by Leslie Adler
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab