At least 20 killed in B'desh Air Force training jet crash

A Bangladesh Air Force training fighter jet crashed into a school building in Dhaka shortly after takeoff on Monday, killing at least 20 people, mostly students, and injuring 171, in one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the country's history.

- Agencies

The F-7 BGI aircraft, a training fighter jet manufactured in China, experienced a “mechanical fault” moments after takeoff and crashed into the two-storey building of Milestone School and College at Diabari in Dhaka's Uttara area, officials said.

The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Mohammad Toukir Islam, was killed in the crash.

“Twenty people, including Flight Lieutenant Toukir Islam, have so far been killed and 171 others injured in the crash,” according to an updated statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) — the media wing of the military.

The pilot attempted to steer the aircraft away from densely populated areas. However, despite his efforts, the aircraft tragically crashed into the two-storey building of the school, said the ISPR.

The jet crashed “due to a mechanical fault” (the details of which will be informed after investigation) after taking off from the Bangladesh Air Force Base AK Khandaker in Kurmitola at 01:06pm as part of a regular training, the statement said.