By Mahbub Hasan Tutul, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a school building in the capital Monday, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 150, officials said. The government has declared a one-day state of mourning for Tuesday.
According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the F-7 BGI fighter jet took off from BAF Base Bashar in Kurmitola at 1:06 p.m. as part of a routine training flight. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft encountered a mechanical failure.
Flight Lieutenant Md. Tawkir Islam, the pilot, attempted to steer the aircraft away from a densely populated area to avoid greater casualties. However, the jet crash-landed into a two-story building of Milestone School and College in the Diabari area of Uttara.
The ISPR confirmed that 19 people, including the pilot, were killed in the crash, and 164 others were injured.
Brig. Gen. Mohammad Zahid Kamal, director general of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the plane crashed just after 1 p.m. into the school building, where several classes were in session. The ground floor housed third and fourth-grade classrooms, while second and fifth-grade classes were being held upstairs, along with the principal’s office and a coaching center.
“Although the school had been dismissed moments earlier, many students and possibly some guardians were still inside when the aircraft struck near the teachers’ room,” he said.
Firefighters were alerted at 1:08 p.m., and nine units were deployed to the scene. “The fire has been fully extinguished, and rescue operations are ongoing,” said the fire chief.
Bodies of the deceased have been transported to multiple hospitals. “So far, we have recovered 19 bodies,” Zahid Kamal said. “Many of the victims remain unidentified, but we suspect most are children.”
Large crowds gathered outside the school as ambulances rushed in and out of the compound. Authorities appealed for blood donations for the injured.
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the country’s chief adviser, has been monitoring the treatment of the victims. His deputy press secretary, Abul Kalam Azad Majumdar, said Yunus urged the public not to gather unnecessarily around hospitals to ensure uninterrupted medical care.
In response to the tragedy, the government announced a state of national mourning for Tuesday. National flags will be flown at half-staff at all government, semi-government, autonomous institutions, educational establishments, and Bangladeshi missions abroad.