Bangladesh: Fighter jet crashes into school, killing 19, injuring over 50

At least 19 people were killed while several others were injured after a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school and college campus in Dhaka’s Uttara area on Monday, according to military and emergency officials.

The jet went down while children were present on the school grounds, said the Bangladesh Army’s public relations office.

More than 50 people, including students, sustained injuries, according to a Jamuna TV report.

Firefighters and military rescue teams quickly responded to the scene. 

Television footage showed thick smoke and flames rising from the site. Videos emerging in the aftermath showed victims suffering from burn injuries.

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Prents and relatives were seen frantically searching for their loved ones. 

According to the Bangladesh Air Force, the aircraft involved in the incident was an F-7 BGI. 

The military wing of the Bangladesh Army shared details of the incident in a statement, saying that the aircraft took off at 1:06 pm and crashed 12 minutes later.

As a national day of mourning was declared in Bangladesh, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus vowed to make every effort to uncover the cause of the incident.

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"The loss suffered by the Air Force... students, parents, teachers and staff, and others in this accident is irreparable," he said.

Though declared outdated globally, the Bangladesh F-7 is a variant of the Chinese Chengdu F-7, modelled on the Soviet MiG-21. It is still in use, particularly for training, due to its suitability. Bangladesh last received a batch of F-7 BGIs in 2013, after which China ceased production.