A Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a school and college compound in Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 170 in one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the country’s recent history.
The F-7 BGI aircraft took off from the Kurmitola Air Force base around 1 PM for what was supposed to be a routine training flight. But shortly after take-off, the jet reportedly suffered a mechanical failure, according to Lt Col Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury.
“The pilot … made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas,” Lt Col Chowdhury said. “Despite his best efforts, the aircraft … crashed into a two-storey building belonging to Milestone School and College.”
Among the fatalities was the pilot, whose identity has not been disclosed. Authorities said a third-grade student was also among the dead. Several others, including children aged 12 and 14, were rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital with severe burn injuries.
“A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital,” confirmed Bidhan Sarker, head of the hospital’s burns unit.
Video footage from the scene showed flames engulfing parts of the school structure as plumes of thick black smoke rose into the air. The jet appeared to have slammed into the side of the building, ripping through iron railings and walls.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and heartbreak. “When I was picking up my kids and went to the gate, I realised something came from behind … I heard an explosion,” said schoolteacher Masud Tarik. “When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke.”
Rescue teams quickly responded, with firefighters working to douse the flames and pull victims from the rubble. Screams and cries echoed throughout the area as families searched for their loved ones.
The F-7 BGI jet is China’s most advanced variant of the Chengdu J-7, derived from the Soviet MiG-21. Bangladesh acquired 16 of these jets in 2011.
Authorities have formed a committee to investigate the crash, which comes just weeks after a tragic Air India crash killed 241 passengers and 19 people on the ground in Ahmedabad — the worst global aviation disaster in a decade.
