A Bangladesh Air Force plane has crashed into a college and school campus in Dhaka, killing at least 27 people, including 25 children.
The incident on Monday is the deadliest aviation disaster in the Bangladeshi capital in recent memory.
The fighter aircraft took off at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) from the air force base in Dhaka’s Kurmitola for a routine training mission, but experienced a mechanical failure soon after.
The pilot attempted to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas to minimize civilian casualties and damage, but his efforts were unsuccessful and the jet crashed into a building.
It echoes a 2008 crash where an F-7 air force training jet went down outside Dhaka, killing its pilot who ejected after a technical problem. Details are still emerging.
While details are still emerging, here’s what is known so far about Monday’s crash:
The crash
The F-7 BGI jet, a variant of a Chinese fighter, crashed into the campus of the Milestone School and College, in the Uttara neighborhood of Dhaka.
The pilot was among the dead, according to the military and a fire official, and 171 people, mostly students, have been injured.
On Tuesday, 78 people remained in hospital.
Officials described the plane as a training aircraft. The military said the jet took off from Bangladesh Air Force Base A.K. Khandaker in Dhaka’s Kurmitola neighborhood at 1:06 p.m. and crashed soon after, catching fire immediately.
The military said the pilot tried to avoid densely populated areas but the jet hit a two-story building. It said the aircraft experienced a “technical malfunction,” adding that a high-level Air Force committee will investigate the cause.
Milestone school
The crash happened on the campus of Milestone, a school with some 2,000 students. It describes itself as having more than two decades of experience as a leading private educational institution.
Rafiqa Taha, a student who was not present at the time of the crash, told The Associated Press by phone that the school offers classes from elementary to 12th grade.
The school says it has a focus on extracurricular activities, career counseling and “global opportunities.”
The Uttara neighborhood is in northern Dhaka, a metropolitan area of more than 20 million people.
The victims
Details are still emerging.
Local media reports said many of the more than 160 injured were students who were on campus for afternoon classes.
Maherin Chowdhury, a teacher who rescued more than 20 students from the burning school, died from severe burn injuries, her colleague Tanzina Tanu said.
Reactions
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus pledged an investigation, expressing his deep sorrow over the “heartbreaking accident.”
The government has announced a day of mourning Tuesday, with flags to fly at half-staff across the country.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X: “Our hearts go out to the bereaved families. India stands in solidarity with Bangladesh and is ready to extend all possible support and assistance.”
