A Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) training aircraft has crashed into a building inside the Milestone College campus at Diabari in the capital’s Uttara and caught fire — leading to multiple casualties.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06pm today (21 July) and crashed into the college campus soon after.
Personnel from the Bangladesh Army and Fire Service and Civil Defence are working at the scene to rescue victims and douse the flames.
It is unclear at the moment how many people were injured or whether anyone died. Videos shared on social media by witnesses at the scene showed Army personnel carrying several injured students away from the crash site.
The incident was also confirmed by police and Tarikul Islam, public relations officer of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.
“A fighter jet has crashed into a building of Milestone College at Diabari area,” said Mohidul Islam, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Uttara division, while talking to The Business Standard.
Firefighters reached the scene around 1:22pm. At least eight firefighting units from Uttara, Tongi, Pallabi, Kurmitola, Mirpur, and Purbachal fire stations are working at the scene right now.
A firefighter, currently involved in the rescue operations, told TBS that at least six-seven students sustained burn injuries after the aircraft crashed and caused the fire.
It was unclear whether the pilots managed to bail out before the plane went down.
A director of the college, requesting anonymity, told TBS, “The plane all of a sudden crashed into some coconut trees and other greeneries in our Diabari campus. Fire engulfed the plane and students frantically rushed to the scene.”
According to witnesses, the aircraft crashed into the building, which primarily hosted classes for children from playgroup and onwards, just as students were coming after classes ended and the school day was over.
