At least 16 individuals, most of them students, lost their lives on Monday when a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into the premises of Milestone School and College in Dhaka, marking one of the country’s worst aviation tragedies in decades.
Eyewitness accounts described scenes of chaos and devastation as the crash site erupted in flames. Firefighters and emergency responders were seen evacuating injured students, while military officials assisted in clearing the debris.
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Interim government leader Muhammad Yunus confirmed that over 100 people sustained injuries in the incident, with at least 83 currently receiving medical treatment at multiple hospitals.
The ill-fated F-7 BJI jet, manufactured in China, reportedly departed at 1:06 p.m. local time (0706 GMT) and crashed shortly after into the school’s junior playground.
A witness, 18-year-old Shafiur Rahman Shafi, recounted the terrifying moment: “We have two playgrounds, one for the senior students and one for the juniors. We were on the playground for the seniors. Suddenly one of the two fighter planes crashed here (in the junior playground). It created a boom, and it felt like a quake. Then it caught fire, and the army reached the spot later.”
In response to the tragedy, the government declared Tuesday a national day of mourning. Scenes at the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute were somber, as heartbroken parents and relatives attempted to identify their children by school uniforms and personal belongings.
Expressing his condolences, Yunus posted on X, stating, “The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable.” He added, “This is a moment of profound pain for the nation.”
This incident is now the deadliest aviation accident the country has faced since a 1984 crash of a domestic flight from Chattogram to Dhaka, which claimed 49 lives.
It also comes on the heels of another regional aviation tragedy—a commercial plane crash in India last month that left 260 people dead.
