A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school campus in northern Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 20 people, including its pilot, and injuring more than 170 people, officials and local media said.
According to the military and a fire official, the Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI aircraft crashed into the campus of Milestone School and College, in Dhaka’s Uttara neighborhood, on Monday afternoon, where students were taking tests or attending regular classes.
The pilot attempted to steer the aircraft away from densely populated areas.
However, despite his efforts, the aircraft tragically crashed into the two-storey building of the school, said the ISPR - the media wing of the military.
"All injured individuals are being promptly transported to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and nearby hospitals for necessary treatment, with assistance from Air Force helicopters and ambulances," it said.
The aircraft crashed due to a mechanical fault (the details of which will be informed after investigation) after taking off from the Bangladesh Air Force Base AK Khandaker in Kurmitola at 01:06 pm as part of a regular training, the statement said.
It said that the chief of army staff and senior military officers rushed to the crash site where rescuers, including firefighters, army troops, police and elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), continued their rescue operations.
A high-level investigation committee has been formed by the Bangladesh Air Force to determine the cause of the accident, the statement added.
Rafiqa Taha, a student at the school who was not present at the time of the crash, told The Associated Press by phone that Milestone School and College, with some 2,000 students, runs classes from elementary to twelfth grade. On Monday, she said, some students were taking tests while others attended regular classes.
“I was terrified watching videos on TV,” said the 16-year-old student. “My God! It’s my school.”
The interim government has declared a one-day state mourning on July 22 when the national flag will be flown at half-mast across Bangladesh and its missions abroad.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus expressed shock and sorrow over the casualties caused by the crash.
"I am deeply saddened by the casualties caused by the heartbreaking accident involving a Bangladesh Air Force jet at the Milestone School and College campus," he said in a statement.
(With inputs from Associated Press)
