Bangladesh: 19 killed, 164 injured as Air Force jet crashes into college in Dhaka

At least 19 people were killed and 164 others were injured on Monday after a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a school and college campus in Dhaka, Reuters reported.

The F-7 BGI jet took off from the Kurmitola airbase at 1.06 pm local time as part of a routine training mission, but encountered a technical failure minutes later, military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury was quoted as saying by the agency.

The crash occurred at Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s northern Uttara area.

“The pilot… made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas,” Reuters quoted Chowdhury as saying. “Despite his best efforts, the aircraft ... crashed into a two-storey building belonging to Milestone School and College.”

The pilot of the aircraft was among those who died.

The military has formed a committee to investigate the crash.

Footage from the scene showed a large fire breaking out near a lawn, with thick smoke billowing into the sky. Following the crash, members of the Bangladesh Army and eight units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the site and began rescue operations, The Daily Star reported.

A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school campus in Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 18 people and injuring 164, according...

Read more