Jet Crashes Into Dhaka School, Kills 19
Pilot’s Attempt to Evade Population Centers Fails
A Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a school and college campus in Dhaka on Monday, leaving at least 19 dead and 164 injured after a technical failure shortly after takeoff.
Routine Mission Turns Tragic
The F-7 BGI aircraft, engaged in a routine training flight, experienced mechanical trouble just after departing the air force base in Kurmitola at 1:06 PM local time. Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel **Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury** stated the pilot made a “valiant attempt” to steer the jet away from densely populated areas.
Pilot Among Fatalities
The pilot was confirmed among the deceased. The military has established an investigative committee to determine the precise cause of the incident. The F-7 BGI is the latest iteration of China’s Chengdu J-7/F-7 family, with Bangladesh having acquired 16 units delivered by 2013.
Scene of Devastation
Video footage depicted intense flames near a lawn, with thick smoke billowing skyward as onlookers gathered at a distance. Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze engulfing the mangled wreckage, which had evidently collided with a two-storey building belonging to Milestone School and College, tearing through its structure.
One victim, a third-grade student, was pronounced dead upon arrival at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. Three other individuals, aged 12, 14, and 40, were admitted for treatment, according to **Bidhan Sarker**, head of the burn unit.
A teacher at the school, **Masud Tarik**, described the harrowing moments: “When I was picking [up] my kids and went to the gate, I realised something came from behind … I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke.”
Government Pledges Assistance
Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s interim government, vowed that “necessary measures”
would be taken to investigate the crash and “ensure all kinds of assistance.”
He acknowledged the “irreparable”
loss suffered by the Air Force, students, parents, teachers, staff, and others involved.
This tragic event occurs just over a month after a devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad, India, which killed 260 people, ranking as the decade’s worst aviation disaster. Globally, aviation accident rates have seen a slight increase, with the International Air Transport Association reporting a rise in the number of hull-loss incidents in recent years.
