A Bangladesh Air Force training fighter jet crashed into a school building in Dhaka shortly after takeoff , killing at least 20 people, mostly children, and injuring 171, in one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the country’s recent history.
The F-7 BGI aircraft, a training fighter jet manufactured in China, crashed into the two-storey building of Milestone School and College at Diabari in Dhaka’s Uttara area.
The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Mohammad Towkir Islam, was killed in the crash reported PTI.
According to an updated statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR), 20 people, including the pilot, have died and 171 others injured.
“All injured individuals are being promptly transported to the Combined Military Hospital and nearby hospitals for necessary treatment, with assistance from Air Force helicopters and ambulances,” it said.
The aircraft crashed due to a mechanical fault (the details of which will be informed after investigation) after taking off from the Bangladesh Air Force Base AK Khandaker in Kurmitola at 01:06 pm as part of a regular training, the statement said.
