At least 19 people died on Monday when a Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crashed into a school and college campus in Dhaka.
The F-7 BGI training aircraft went down in the Uttara area shortly after takeoff at 1:06 PM local time, according to the military’s public relations office.
The plane struck the Milestone School and College compound, igniting a massive fire. Footage showed thick black smoke rising above the building while panicked crowds gathered nearby.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and sprayed water over the burning wreckage. The jet tore through the side of the building, breaking iron grills and leaving a large hole.
Officials said more than 50 people were injured, many of them children. Victims were taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery and Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.
“A third-grade student was brought in dead,” said Dr. Bidhan Sarker, head of the hospital’s burn unit. He added that others, aged 12, 14, and 40, were also admitted with severe burns.
Eyewitnesses described the horror. “I was at the school gate to pick up my kids when I heard a loud blast,” said Masud Tarik, a school teacher. “I turned around and saw fire everywhere.”
The impact of the crash left several families devastated. People were seen screaming, crying, and searching for loved ones in the chaos.
Bangladesh’s interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus expressed sorrow over the tragedy. He promised a full investigation and support for the affected families.
“The loss to the Air Force, students, and families is beyond repair,” he said.
This crash occurred just a month after another deadly aviation disaster in neighboring India, where an Air India jet hit a medical hostel, killing over 240 people.
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