DHAKA: At least 19 people were killed when a Bangladesh Air Force training plane crashed into a school and college campus in Dhaka on Monday, officials confirmed. More than 50 others, including children, suffered burns and were rushed to hospitals.
The incident took place at Milestone School and College in Uttara, a northern district of Dhaka. The military confirmed the aircraft involved was an F-7 BGI training jet that had taken off at 1:06 PM local time.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as the plane crashed into the building, causing a massive fire and thick smoke. “I heard an explosion and turned to see only fire and smoke,“ said Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze as emergency teams pulled victims from the wreckage. Hospital officials confirmed a third-grade student was among the dead, with others suffering severe burns.
Bangladesh’s interim government leader Muhammad Yunus pledged a full investigation and support for victims. “The loss is irreparable,“ he said.
The crash follows another aviation tragedy last month in India, where an Air India flight crashed into a medical college, killing 260 people. - Reuters
