At least 19 people, including a Bangladesh Air Force pilot and 16 children, were killed on Monday, July 21, when a military training jet crashed into a school in Dhaka’s Uttara area.
The F-7 BGI aircraft, which took off from the A.K. Khandaker Air Force Base in Kurmitola at 1:06 p.m., went down just 24 minutes later at Milestone School and College during a routine training mission.
The crash caused a massive fire, killing the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md. Toukir Islam, and injuring over 100 others, many of them students.
Military officials blamed a mechanical failure for the crash. They said the pilot made efforts to steer the plane away from populated zones but couldn’t avoid the school, which was in full session with around 2,000 students.
“The situation is tragic,” said an official from the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, where more than 50 victims were admitted. At least eight people remain in critical condition.
Emergency teams, including firefighters, soldiers, and local volunteers, responded quickly, battling flames and pulling survivors from the rubble.
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Helicopters and ambulances shuttled the injured to the Combined Military Hospital and other nearby facilities.
Eyewitnesses spoke of panic and devastation. Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school, said, “I was picking up my children when I heard the explosion and saw smoke rising.”
The government has declared Tuesday, July 22, a national day of mourning. Flags will fly at half-staff, and prayers will be held across the country.
Interim leader Muhammad Yunus called the crash “irreparable,” adding, “We share the grief of the families. Necessary measures will be taken to investigate and support the victims.”
A high-level Air Force panel has been set up to determine the cause of the crash. Safety concerns surrounding the aging Chinese-made F-7 BGI jets have resurfaced, especially after similar incidents in the region, including a Myanmar Air Force crash last month.
As the country mourns, investigators continue to probe the tragedy while survivors and families begin to confront the scale of their loss.