No less than 20 folks have been killed after a Bangladesh Air Force jet crashed into a personal college campus within the south Asian nation’s capital, Dhaka, on Monday.
It’s the deadliest airplane crash within the Bangladeshi capital in latest reminiscence.
Whereas particulars are nonetheless rising, this is what is thought up to now:
The F-7 BGI jet, a variant of a Chinese language fighter, crashed into the campus of the Milestone College and Faculty, within the Uttara neighborhood of Dhaka.
The pilot was among the many lifeless, in accordance with navy and a hearth official.
Greater than 100 folks have been injured.
Officers described the aircraft as a coaching plane. The navy mentioned the jet took off from Bangladesh Air Drive Base A.Okay. Khandaker in Dhaka’s Kurmitola neighborhood at 1:06 p.m. native time and crashed quickly after, catching fireplace instantly.
The miltary mentioned the pilot tried to keep away from densely populated areas however the jet hit a two-story constructing. It mentioned the plane skilled a “technical malfunction,” including {that a} high-level Air Drive committee will examine the trigger.
The crash occurred on the campus of Milestone, a faculty with some 2,000 college students. It describes itself as having greater than twenty years of expertise as a number one personal instructional establishment.
Rafiqa Taha, a scholar who was not current on the time of the crash, informed The Related Press by telephone that the college affords courses from elementary to twelfth grade.
The college says it has a concentrate on extracurricular actions, profession counseling and “international alternatives.”
The Uttara neighborhood is in northern Dhaka, a metropolitan space of greater than 20 million folks.
Particulars are nonetheless rising. Officers have mentioned the pilot is among the many lifeless.
Native media stories mentioned lots of the greater than 100 injured have been college students who have been on campus for afternoon courses.
Bangladesh’s interim chief Muhammad Yunus pledged an investigation into the crash, expressing his deep sorrow over the “heartbreaking accident.”
The federal government has introduced a nationwide day of mourning on Tuesday, with flags to fly at half-staff throughout the nation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned in a publish on X: “Our hearts exit to the bereaved households. India stands in solidarity with Bangladesh and is able to prolong all potential help and help.”