Dhaka, July 21 — A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school building in the capital city on Monday afternoon, triggering panic, a massive rescue operation, and tragic loss of life. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, confirmed the incident.
The Chinese-made F-7 BGI aircraft took off at 1:06 PM local time and crashed around 1:30 PM into the Milestone School and College building located in Dhaka’s Uttara area. The crash caused a fire in the building, prompting an immediate response from the fire and rescue services.
According to Fire Service officials, at least one person has died in the incident, and four others were seriously injured and airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) by an Air Force helicopter. Video footage circulating on social media shows injured individuals being rescued from the scene, with many rushed to various hospitals including Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, and Uttara Adhunik Hospital.
Eyewitnesses reported chaotic scenes as the aircraft struck the front side of the three-storey building, trapping students inside. “I was near the building when it happened—teachers and staff immediately rushed to rescue the children,” said a Milestone College teacher to The Daily Star.
Rescue operations were launched by the Bangladesh Army alongside eight units from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, including teams from Uttara, Tongi, Pallabi, Kurmitola, Mirpur, and Purbachal.
The cause of the crash is yet to be officially confirmed. Meanwhile, authorities have cordoned off the area as investigations and rescue efforts continue. The incident has sparked widespread concern over flight safety in densely populated urban areas.
