Bangladesh Air Force Jet Crashes Into School In Dhaka, 19 Dead

Bangladesh Plane crash

Dhaka, July 21 – A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into the campus of Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara area on Monday, killing at least 19 people, according to fire service officials.

More than 50 others, including both children and adults, were injured and taken to nearby hospitals with burn injuries. Doctors at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery confirmed several critical cases.

The military stated that the F-7 BGI aircraft took off at 1:06 PM local time (0706 GMT) before crashing into the school premises shortly after.

Eyewitness videos showed a large fire erupting at the crash site, with thick black smoke rising into the sky. Onlookers gathered at a distance as firefighters struggled to control the flames. The aircraft reportedly smashed into a building on the campus, damaging its structure and iron grills.

Dr. Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, said a third-grade student was brought in dead. Among the injured were a 12-year-old, a 14-year-old, and a 40-year-old, all admitted with severe burns.

Witnesses described panic and chaos. “I was picking up my children when I heard a loud explosion behind me,” said Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school. “When I turned around, I saw nothing but flames and smoke.”

Heartbreaking scenes unfolded as parents and staff cried outside the campus while emergency teams worked at the site.

Interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus expressed deep sorrow over the incident and assured a full investigation. “This is a tragic loss for the Air Force, and for the students, teachers, and families affected. We will provide all necessary support,” he said.

The crash comes just over a month after a major air disaster in neighboring India, where an Air India flight crashed onto a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 onboard, along with 19 people on the ground. It was the deadliest aviation tragedy in over ten years.

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