F-7 fighter crashes into Milestone School during classes as government declares day of mourning
At least 16 people have died and more than 100 were injured after a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school campus in the capital Dhaka on Monday, with children present during the incident.
The Chinese-made F-7 BGI training jet crashed into the Milestone School and College in the northern Uttara suburb at approximately 1:30pm local time (0730 GMT), shortly after taking off at 1:06pm, according to the military’s Inter Services Public Relations directorate.
Footage from the scene showed a massive fire engulfing parts of the school building and thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky as emergency services rushed to rescue trapped students and staff.
Children Trapped in Classrooms
The aircraft crashed into a building where primary school classes were in session, causing catastrophic damage to the ground floor where young children were attending lessons.
“The jet crashed right in front of my eyes – just 10 feet ahead of me,” Fahim Hossain, an eleventh-grade student at Milestone College, told The Daily Star. “It hit the ground floor of a two-storey building around 1:15pm, where classes for the primary section were taking place.”
Shah Bulbul, a Milestone School and College spokesman, told BDnews24: “Classes were in session where the plane crashed with young students inside. The injured are being taken out one by one.”
A physics teacher at the school, who witnessed the crash, said he saw several students and a female teacher with severe burn injuries as college staff rushed to rescue those trapped.
Mass Casualty Response
More than 50 people, including children and adults, were taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery with burns, a doctor at the facility told reporters. Additional injured were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital.
The school issued an urgent appeal on social media for blood donations, stating that large quantities were needed at nearby hospitals. An emergency hotline (01949-043697) was established at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery to coordinate the medical response.
Eight fire service units were deployed to the scene, supported by Bangladesh Army personnel and emergency medical teams. The area was cordoned off as rescue operations continued throughout the afternoon.
Government Response
Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladesh’s interim government, expressed “profound grief and sorrow” over the tragedy and announced that the government would declare a one-day state mourning.
The loss suffered by the Air Force personnel, students, parents, teachers, staff, and others connected to Milestone School and College is irreparable. This is a moment of deep national grief,” Yunus said in a statement.
He added that “necessary measures” would be taken to investigate the cause of the incident and “ensure all kinds of assistance” to those affected. The Chief Adviser directed all relevant authorities, including hospitals, to handle the situation with the utmost priority.
Aircraft Details
The F-7 BGI is a Chinese-manufactured multirole fighter based on the Soviet-era MiG-21 design, produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. Bangladesh primarily uses these aircraft for training fighter pilots.
This is not the first incident involving Bangladesh’s F-7 fleet. At the end of June this year, an F-7 crashed in the Bay of Bengal during a training exercise. In 2018, another F-7 crashed in Tangail’s Madhupur upazila during a training flight.
Eyewitness Accounts
Ariful Islam, a first-year student, was in class on the seventh floor when he witnessed the crash. “I was gazing out the window when I saw the plane coming down,” he said.
Rasel Mia, who identified himself as Air Force staff and arrived shortly after the crash, told reporters: “What happened inside the ground floor is beyond description.
Saadman Rhuhsin, who works at a nearby recruitment office, said he heard “a loud bang and then screams” as the jet crashed into the school building.
Investigation Launched
The Bangladesh military confirmed in a brief statement: “Bangladesh Air Force’s F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara. The aircraft took off at 13:06 (0706 GMT).”
While the cause of the crash remains under investigation, the incident has raised questions about flight safety protocols, particularly regarding training flights over densely populated urban areas.
The Milestone School and College, located in the Diabari area of Uttara, is situated close to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The area is densely populated with residential buildings and educational institutions.
Community Response
The local community rallied to support rescue efforts, with volunteers helping to transport injured students and staff to hospitals. The school urged people to stay away from the accident site to allow emergency services to work effectively.
Teachers and staff at the school were praised for their quick response in evacuating students from affected areas and providing first aid before emergency services arrived.
The tragedy has shocked the nation, with the catastrophic loss of life at an educational institution drawing comparisons to other aviation disasters in populated areas. The incident marks one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Bangladesh in recent years.
As investigations continue and the full extent of casualties becomes clear, questions are likely to be raised about training flight paths over urban areas and the safety protocols for military aviation operations near civilian populations.
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