At least 19 people were killed in a tragic military aircraft crash on the campus of a school in the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. According to the country's armed forces, just minutes after taking off from a nearby airbase, the pilot of a Chinese-manufactured F-7 BGI training jet reported a technical malfunction. He attempted to redirect the aircraft toward a less densely populated area, but it ultimately crashed into a two-story school building.
The exact cause of the accident remains under investigation. Among the 19 confirmed fatalities was the pilot himself. An additional 164 people sustained injuries, many of them suffering burns, as reported by the South Asian country's military press office. Most of the injured are receiving treatment at various hospitals. Interim Prime Minister Muhamad Yunus expressed his deep sorrow over the incident, calling it a national tragedy.
The aircraft was confirmed to be part of the Bangladesh Armed Forces’ training fleet. At the time of the crash, which occurred in the early afternoon local time, many children and parents were present on the premises of Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara district. The school serves students from primary level through twelfth grade. Fire department officials said the area was busy with student pick-ups when the plane struck.
Television footage from local broadcasters showed smoke and flames billowing from the impact zone. Children, parents, and teachers were seen fleeing the area in panic. Some of the injured were evacuated in ambulances, while others—particularly children—were carried away in rickshaws. One parent, interviewed by Jamuna TV, described witnessing a fireball erupting after the crash. He had arrived to collect his child and found him unharmed after the incident.
“I saw a wall of fire rising,” he said, visibly shaken. Prime Minister Yunus described the crash as a “heartbreaking tragedy” on social media and pledged that the government would conduct a full investigation and provide all necessary assistance to those affected.
