Military aircraft crashes into school in Dhaka: death toll rises to 27
Dozens of injured are being treated in various hospitals. The story of a boy who pulled a younger girl from the rubble and brought her to safety. The army praises the heroism of the pilot, who died in the tragedy, who reportedly tried to avoid populated areas. However, it was his first solo training flight. The secretary of the Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Kubi, expresses the condolences of the Catholic Church
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - The provisional death toll from yesterday's accident in Bangladesh caused by an Air Force training jet that crashed into a building of the Milestone School and College in the Uttara district of Dhaka has risen to 27, with 164 others injured. Among the injured, 78 are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals. So far, the bodies of 20 victims have been returned to their families.
The FT-7 BGI fighter jet, on a routine training mission, took off from AK Khandaker Air Base in Kurmitola at 1:06 p.m. yesterday. Shortly after take-off, the aircraft suffered a mechanical failure. According to reports, the pilot, Lieutenant Tauqir Islam, attempted to steer the aircraft away from densely populated areas to minimise casualties. Despite his efforts, the jet crashed into a two-storey building at Milestone School and College in Diabari, Dhaka.
The Catholic Church has expressed its deepest condolences for the tragedy. Monsignor Ponen Paul Kubi, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh and bishop of the diocese of Mymensingh, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. ‘This is an unexpected, tragic and unfortunate event. The loss and injury of children is particularly heartbreaking. I extend my deepest condolences to the families affected and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and for the eternal rest of the souls of the deceased,’ he told AsiaNews.
Robaida Noor Albira, a fourth-grade girl from Milestone, was pulled from the rubble with severe burns. Sayem Khan, an eleventh-grade student, rescued her in the chaos. "Suddenly there was a loud explosion and everything caught fire. The flames were so intense that it was almost impossible to get close. Then I saw a girl screaming, “Brother, take me!” As soon as I approached, she collapsed on my shoulder," Sayem told Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
He kept Albira's identity card with him and, together with another woman, took her to several hospitals in Uttara.
Unable to find immediate medical attention, they finally took her by ambulance to Dhaka Medical College. Eyewitnesses and fire officials reported that the training jet first crashed into the schoolyard, digging a 30-metre-long trench before hitting the ground floor of a two-storey building.
The front section of the plane smashed through a classroom, scattering debris and triggering a fire. Students described how the plane disintegrated on impact, with burning wreckage blocking the stairs—trapping and killing many people trying to escape.
The deceased pilot, Lieutenant Tauqir Islam, had flown the training aircraft solo for the first time the day before the crash. Family members confirmed that it was his maiden solo training mission. The Air Force has set up a high-level commission of inquiry to determine the causes of the accident.
The chief adviser to the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, expressed deep sorrow, calling the loss of students, teachers and air force personnel ‘an irreparable national tragedy.’ Legal adviser Dr Asif Nazrul promised full support for the injured, ensuring that they would receive medical care and rehabilitation.
The government has declared today a national day of mourning in honour of the victims.
.png)
