WATCH | Air Force jet crashes in Bangladesh onto school campus, 19 dead, one-day state mourning declared
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "WATCH | Air Force jet crashes in Bangladesh onto school campus, 19 dead, one-day state mourning declared")
Visuals of jet crash Photograph: (X)
A Made-in-China training aircraft crashed in Uttara, Dhaka, on Monday (July 21) in the Milestone College area. 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.
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. 19 people have been reported dead, and at least 13 were hospitalised in the crash, Dhaka Tribune reported.
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.
"The loss suffered by the Air Force, students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others, in this accident is irreparable. This is a moment of deep sorrow for the nation. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and direct all relevant authorities, including hospitals, to address the situation with utmost priority," the statement added.
"The government will take necessary measures to investigate the cause of the accident and ensure all forms of assistance," the post ended.
