Dhaka: A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school building in the Uttara area of Dhaka on Monday afternoon, leaving at least one person dead and several others injured, according to officials from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department.
The ill-fated aircraft, a Chinese-made F-7 BGI fighter jet, took off from a base at 1:06 PM local time and crashed into the Milestone School and College building around 1:30 PM, triggering a fire and widespread panic in the densely populated neighborhood.
According to Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo, the crash sparked a fire at the impact site, and four injured individuals were immediately airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) by an Air Force helicopter. The Fire Service confirmed at least one fatality as rescue efforts continued through the afternoon.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as the aircraft slammed into the front section of the three-storey building. A teacher from Milestone College told The Daily Star that he saw students trapped inside as the plane struck the structure. Teachers and staff rushed to evacuate students before firefighters and military personnel arrived.
Eight firefighting units from different parts of the city—including Uttara, Tongi, Pallabi, Kurmitola, Mirpur, and Purbachal—were deployed to the scene, according to a fire service bulletin.
Footage circulating on social media showed multiple injured individuals being rescued from the rubble and rushed to nearby hospitals, including Uttara Adhunik Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, and others.
Authorities have cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. The Bangladesh Air Force and civil aviation authorities are expected to release more details as the probe continues.
