Student, who was absent from school on the day of Bangladesh jet crash, says...

A Made-in-China training aircraft crashed in Uttara, Dhaka, on Monday (July 21) at the Milestone School and College campus. As per the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara around 1 in the afternoon. At least 19 people have been reported dead, and at least 13 were hospitalised. Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam Sagar was reportedly flying the aircraft before it crashed into the building.

Rafiqa Taha, a student who was not present when the plane crashed, told the news agency Associated Press that the school has around 2,000 students, and runs classes from elementary to Class XII.

“I was terrified watching videos on TV,” the 16-year-old told AP. “My God! It’s my school," she added on the phone call.

The Air Force Chengdu F-7 BGI crashed onto the campus of the school when the children were present there. Television footage showed fire and smoke billowing from the site of the crash. The Bangladesh Army’s public relations office confirmed in a brief statement that the downed F-7 BGI aircraft belonged to the Air Force.

The injured were taken to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. The initial report, as per the Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Sun, said that most of the injured were students of the educational institute. Their identities have not yet been confirmed. The rescue operation is still on.

The Chief Advisor, Muhammad Yunus, posted on the social media platform X, saying, “I express my profound grief and sorrow over the tragic incident of casualties due to the crash of a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training aircraft at the Milestone School and College campus in the capital’s Diabari area today.”

One-day state mourning was also declared after the crash on Monday. During the mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast at all government, semi-government, and autonomous institutions, as well as educational establishments across the country.