A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed on a school campus in Uttara, northern Dhaka, resulting in at least 16 fatalities, including the pilot. Dozens more were injured, according to officials.
The military and a fire official confirmed that the Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI aircraft crashed into the grounds of Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara neighborhood on Monday afternoon. Students were reportedly taking exams and attending regular classes at the time of the incident.
Saidur Rahman of the National Burn Institute in Dhaka informed The Daily Star, a leading English daily in Bangladesh, that the death toll had climbed to 16 within hours of the crash.
Prothom Alo, a Bengali-language daily, reported that most of the injured were students suffering from burn injuries. At least 20 people were taken to hospital.
Distraught parents and relatives rushed to the scene as rescuers, utilizing rickshaws and other available means, transported the injured to medical facilities.
Rafiqa Taha, a student at the school who was not present during the crash, told The Associated Press that Milestone School and College educates approximately 2,000 students from elementary to 12th grade.
She confirmed that some students were taking tests while others were attending regular classes on Monday.
“I was terrified watching videos on TV,” stated the 16-year-old student. “My God. It’s my school.”
The Bangladesh Army’s public relations office issued a brief statement confirming that the downed F-7 BGI aircraft belonged to the Air Force.
