Bangladesh Reports 19 Dead as Air Force Jet Crashes into College

(MENAFN) A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a college campus in Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 19 people, according to Fire Services officials. The tragic incident unfolded in the capital's Uttara area, triggering mass casualties and widespread panic.

Over 100 individuals sustained burn injuries, a government official confirmed, many of them in critical condition.

The majority of the deceased and injured were students and staff members at Milestone School and College, where the aircraft struck a campus building. Authorities added that the pilot—who was flying solo—was also injured in the crash.

In response to the deadly event, the interim government declared a national day of mourning for Tuesday.

The jet slammed into the school structure shortly after 1:06 p.m. local time (0706 GMT), shortly after takeoff, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of Bangladesh’s military. Dramatic video footage showed thick smoke and flames engulfing the scene in Uttara.

Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the head of the interim government, said, “100 to 150 people,” including 70 students, had suffered burn injuries and were being treated in hospitals across the city.

This isn’t the first such tragedy. In July 2018, two Bangladesh Air Force pilots were killed when a trainer aircraft crashed in the southwestern Jessore district.

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