Bangladesh Mourns as Jet Crash at School Kills 27, Including 25 Children

AFP/APP

Dhaka: Bangladesh is in mourning following the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in decades, after a military training jet crashed into a school on Monday, killing 27 people including 25 children.

The Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft, operated by the Bangladesh Air Force, crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka just moments after classes had ended for the day.

According to Sayedur Rahman, special assistant at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the updated death toll includes 25 students, the pilot, and a staff member. “Seventy-eight people are currently receiving treatment in different hospitals,” he confirmed, while more than 170 were reportedly injured.

The normally lively school was silent on Tuesday, with classes suspended and students, parents, and teachers gathering to grieve. The crash has left the community in deep shock.

“Along with the children, the school has lost its life,” said Shahadat Hossain, a teacher whose son narrowly survived the tragedy. “Even yesterday, around the time the plane crashed, children were playing on the swings in front of the building.”

Around 7,000 students are enrolled at Milestone School. Abul Bashar, whose son escaped the crash, said the boy was deeply traumatized. “He couldn’t sleep through the night and insisted on coming back to school this morning,” Bashar said.

Authorities have begun collecting personal belongings — bags, shoes, and ID cards — from the site. Police and military personnel continue to comb the area for evidence. “The armed forces will hand over the site to the police once their sweep is complete,” said senior police officer Pahn Chakma.

The Air Force confirmed that Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam, who was piloting the aircraft, encountered a mechanical failure during a routine training mission. He attempted to steer the jet away from densely populated areas but was unable to avoid the school building.

In a statement, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed “deep grief and sorrow” and declared a national day of mourning. “The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable,” he said. “This is a moment of profound pain for the nation.”

School authorities held special prayers on Monday night for the victims. Teachers say the road to recovery will be long and uncertain. “I don’t know how long it will take to return to normalcy — to relieve the children from this trauma,” said teacher Hossain.

The military has launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.