Bangladesh Air Force jet crashes into Dhaka school building

A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training jet crashed into Milestone School in Dhaka’s Uttara, killing one and injuring several. The building caught fire, triggering a major rescue effort involving the army and multiple fire service units

Dhaka: A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school building in capital Dhaka Monday afternoon, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media division of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, has confirmed.

According to the ISPR, the Bangladesh Air Force’s Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1.06 pm, local time on Monday and crashed into the Milestone School and College building in Dhaka’s Uttara around 1.30 PM.

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“The Fire Service has confirmed the death of at least one person in the incident. Rescue work is underway at the scene,” Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo reported, stating that the school building caught fire after the plane crashed.

The report mentioned that four injured people have been taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) by an Air Force helicopter.

A Milestone College teacher told ‘The Daily Star’ newspaper that he was standing near the college building when the aircraft hit the front side of the three-storey school building, trapping several students.

“The college teachers and staff rushed to rescue the students. Members of the army arrived shortly afterwards, followed by firefighters who joined the rescue operation,” the newspaper reported.

Members of the Bangladesh Army and eight engines of Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot and started rescue operations, according to a fire service notification.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Tribune reported that eight units from the Uttara, Tongi, Pallabi, Kurmitola, Mirpur, and Purbachal fire services are working at the scene.

“Videos circulating on social media show several people being rescued with injuries. They are reportedly being taken to Uttara Adhunik Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Govt Hospital, Uttara Women’s Medical College, Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College Hospital,” the newspaper reported.