Summary:
- A Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed in Dhaka, killing 19 including 16 students, 2 teachers, and the pilot, and injuring over 100 others.
- The Chinese-built F-7 BGI fighter hit Milestone School and College shortly after takeoff during a routine mission, igniting fire and panic.
- Significant damage to the school building complicated rescue efforts, which lasted over five hours.
- Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority and the Air Force are investigating, with technical failure suspected.
- The incident has sparked debate over urban planning and flight safety in densely populated cities like Dhaka.
- Classes at the school are suspended; grief counseling and support services are being offered to affected families and survivors.
A Bangladesh Air Force training jet slammed into a school in the heart of Dhaka on Monday afternoon, killing at least 19 people—including children and school staff—and injuring more than 100 others, many of them seriously. The Chinese-built F-7 BGI fighter crashed into the Milestone School and College campus in the crowded Uttara neighborhood just moments after takeoff, sparking a fire and chaos across the four-story facility packed with students attending classes.
The aircraft had departed for a standard training mission from a nearby base at 1:06 PM local time, according to a statement from the Bangladesh Air Force. Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion followed by screaming, as flames and thick black smoke billowed from the school compound just minutes later. The fire rapidly spread through the building after the fighter jet struck its roof. Television footage and images from the scene showed emergency responders and local residents carrying injured students from mangled classrooms, while others tried to control the flames using buckets of water and fire extinguishers.
“My son was in the third-grade class next to the canteen,” said one father, standing outside Dhaka Medical College Hospital, his hands bandaged from helping with the rescue. “I found him unconscious. He had burns all over his arm.”
Among the 19 dead were 16 students, two teachers, and the fighter pilot, as confirmed on Monday evening by officials from the Ministry of Education. The number of injuries exceeded 100, with dozens suffering burns of varying severity. At least 52 students were admitted to two major hospitals in the capital, including the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, which activated its emergency protocols to cope with the sudden influx of casualties.
The aircraft hit the school’s canteen area, where a large number of students had gathered during their mid-day break. Structural damage to the building slowed rescue efforts, with firefighters and military personnel forced to use ladders and cutting tools to reach trapped students on the upper floors. Rescue operations lasted over five hours, as volunteers and paramedics transported victims using ambulances, rickshaws, and even private cars to the nearest emergency facilities.
Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim administration, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy. Speaking at a brief press event, he called the losses “unbearable” and promised a transparent investigation. “We stand with the grieving families. No effort will be spared in finding out how this happened and preventing such incidents in future,” Yunus stated.
The cause of the crash remains unclear, though officials confirmed the jet had been undergoing regular training exercises in the vicinity of the capital. Technical failure is being considered, but investigators have yet to provide preliminary findings. Officials from the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority and the Air Force launched parallel inquiries, and wreckage from the jet has been secured for forensic analysis.
Milestone School and College, which educates more than 2,000 pupils from kindergarten to grade 12, has suspended classes indefinitely. As of Tuesday morning, grief counselors and volunteers were being dispatched to support survivors and affected families. “We never expected something like this,” said Sultana Rehman, a teacher at the school for over a decade. “In seconds, everything collapsed.”
The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of urban planning and flight safety protocols in a fast-growing and densely populated city like Dhaka. Aviation experts have warned for years about the risks of conducting military training flights over residential districts. A retired Air Force officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, questioned whether “urban perimeter protocols” were adequate for current flight routes.
This incident stands as the deadliest peacetime aviation disaster in Dhaka in nearly a decade. It comes just weeks after another fatal crash in South Asia, when an Air India commercial aircraft went down during landing in Ahmedabad, killing over 250 people. While the two events are unrelated, safety advocates have begun calling for a regional reassessment of airspace management and emergency preparedness in close proximity to civic infrastructure like schools and hospitals.
Background:
Here is how this event developed over time:
- June 2025: An Air India passenger plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, killing 260 people, heightening concerns over aviation safety in South Asia.
- July 21, 2025, 1:06 PM: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI trainer jet took off from Dhaka for a routine training sortie.
- July 21, 2025, 1:30 PM: The jet crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara area, striking the canteen roof and triggering a fire.
- July 21, 2025: At the time of the crash, approximately 2,000 students were present at the school.
- July 21, 2025: The crash killed 19 people—including 16 students, two teachers, and the pilot—and injured over 100 others, many suffering severe burns.
- July 21, 2025: Emergency responders, including fire services, military personnel, and police, conducted extensive rescue and recovery operations.
- July 21, 2025: Interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus expressed condolences, calling the tragedy “irreparable,” and pledged a full investigation and government assistance.