At least 19 people have reportedly died and several others injured after a military jet crashed into a college classroom in Bangladesh.
At around 1:06 p.m. local time on Monday, July 21, a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed onto the campus of Milestone School and College in the city of Dhaka, BBC News and the Bangladeshi outlet The Business Standard (TBS) reported.
At least 19 people were killed, including several students, according to reports. Multiple others were also injured with eight in critical condition, per TBS. BBC News reported that over 100 people had been injured in the crash.
The Bangladesh Army’s public relations office confirmed that the jet that crashed was a F-7 BGI aircraft belonging to the Air Force, per the AP.
A spokesperson for Milestone School and College confirmed that the aircraft crashed “near the school gates” as classes were taking place, per Times of India. “The plane fell on the gate and crashed nearby. A class was in session where the plane crashed,” the spokesperson told the outlet.
India Today reported that the plane reportedly crashed into the front side of the three-story school building, leaving several students trapped. Classes for children from playgroup age to grades 1-5 were located where the plane crashed, along with a canteen, per TBS.
Teachers and college staff initially helped rescue the students before the fire and army departments arrived at 1:22 p.m. According to witnesses, army personnel “rescued the injured students in their arms” and transported them to hospitals in vehicles as ambulances “were not readily available,” per TBS and India Today.
Footage posted on social media showed the engine of the jet being doused with water by a firefighter after the plane crashed into the school. Fire and military officials could also be seen on the ground as smoke and fire billowed from the crash site.
The injured were transported to local burn units and hospitals and the fire was controlled by 2:45 p.m., per TBS.
The pilot was identified as Flight Lieutenant Md Towkir Islam of the Bangladesh Air Force. He managed to escape the plane before it crashed and was sent to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for medical treatment, per TBS.
“[The plane] crashed into the primary school building, around 100-150 meters away from us. The pilot ejected from the plane with a parachute and got down while the primary school building caught fire,” student Naimul Hasan Adit told TBS.
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Milestone College is seeking blood donations for those injured following the incident.
“Those interested in donating blood should come to these hospitals, there is a huge need for blood. Please do not obstruct the rescue work by crowding at the accident site,” the school wrote on Facebook. The Dhaka Medical Burn Unit and other local hospitals were listed to where blood can be donated.
The cause of the crash is being investigated.
PEOPLe has reached out to Milestone College for comment.
