(MENAFN) The death count from Monday’s Bangladesh Air Force jet accident, which struck a school building in Dhaka, has climbed to 27, with 25 of the victims being children, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Rescue efforts have now ended, and an official investigation into the catastrophe has been initiated.

At least 78 more individuals—mainly students, firefighters, and military personnel—are currently receiving medical treatment for severe burns, with several in critical condition, stated Dr. Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the head of the interim government, during a press conference.

Among the deceased, 20 bodies have been identified and handed over to their relatives, while six remain unidentified, Rahman noted.

The remaining two fatalities include the pilot of the Chinese-manufactured FT-7 BGI fighter jet, Mohammad Towkir Islam Sagar, and Meherin Chowdhury, a teacher at Milestone College who reportedly saved 20 students before losing her life in the blaze.

According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media division, the two-seater training aircraft experienced a “mechanical fault” shortly after departing from Dhaka’s AK Khandaker airbase.

The pilot made an effort to divert the plane away from the heavily populated area, but it ultimately crashed into the two-story Milestone School and College building located in the Diabari neighborhood around noon, roughly ten minutes after takeoff.

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