DHAKA: A devastating air crash at Milestone School and College in Dhaka has left the nation in mourning, with at least 27 people confirmed dead—including students and the pilot—and over 170 injured. The tragedy unfolded on Monday afternoon when a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training jet crashed into the school premises, triggering one of the country’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent memory.
The aircraft, which departed from the Kurmitola Air Force Base at 1:06 PM local time, reportedly suffered a mechanical failure shortly after takeoff. According to officials, the pilot attempted to steer the jet away from densely populated areas, but the plane ultimately slammed into a two-storey school building in the Uttara neighborhood, setting off a massive blaze.
Eyewitnesses Describe Inferno and Panic
Witnesses described scenes of terror and heartbreak. “I saw the plane directly hit the building,” said Rezaul Islam, a teacher at the school, speaking to BBC Bangla. His colleague Masud Tarik added, “When I turned around, there was nothing but fire and smoke.”
Ahmed, a student present during the crash, told The Guardian, “I was eating in the canteen when I heard a loud bang. I saw the plane crash into the building and explode. Everyone was screaming and running. The fire spread fast—many younger students were trapped.”
Mizanur Rahman, another teacher, believed the pilot tried to avoid the main school buildings. “From the trajectory, it seemed he was aiming for the open field behind, but didn’t make it. Many kids were outside as classes had just ended. The blast swept through the area, and several staff members are still missing,” he said.
Scenes of Grief and Desperate Searches
Families rushed to the scene and nearby hospitals in search of loved ones. One man sobbed as he described losing his eight-year-old nephew: “My beloved nephew is in the morgue now,” he said, consoling the child’s father who was crying, “Where is my son?”
A teacher burned in the explosion recounted the moment the fire engulfed the school: “There was no warning. Just an explosion—and suddenly everything was fire. I couldn’t see anything through the smoke.” He sustained burns to his face, ears, and hands.
Medical facilities were quickly overwhelmed. Dr. Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, confirmed that a third-grade student was among the dead. Several others, including children and adults, were hospitalized with critical burns. At the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, eight patients remained in life-threatening condition.
Some students returned to witness the aftermath. “We fought through the crowd and soldiers to reach the crash site,” said Estiak Elahi Khan, a student in Class 11. “What I saw… I can’t even describe it. It was horrifying.”
Sixteen-year-old Rafiqa Taha watched the tragedy unfold on live television. “My God! That’s my school,” she cried. “We literally saw skin being torn off.”
A girl injured in the fire told Channel 24 from her hospital bed, “When we stepped outside, we saw many classmates burned.”
Nation in Mourning
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, and Bangladesh declared a national day of mourning. Rescue and recovery operations continued late into the night as authorities pledged a thorough investigation into the crash.
The tragedy has left the country shaken, with grieving families, stunned survivors, and a heartbroken community struggling to comprehend the scale of the loss.
