Bangladesh Air Force Jet Crashes Into School, Killing 20
A Bangladesh Air Force F‑7 BGI training jet, flying a routine mission shortly after takeoff from Kurmitola Air Force Base at around 1:06 p.m. local time on July 21, suffered a mechanical failure and spiraled into the Milestone School and College campus in Dhaka’s Uttara district. The jet struck a two‑story building where students were attending classes, igniting a devastating fire. Officials report that approximately 20 people—mostly young students and the pilot—were killed, with more than 170 others suffering injuries, many with severe burns.
Witnesses describe chaotic scenes of panic and destruction, with rescuers and staff using helicopters, rickshaws, and manual methods to ferry injured children to hospitals while firefighters battled the blaze. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md Towkir Islam Sagar, attempted to steer the failing jet away from densely populated areas but perished in the crash; some reports suggest he may have ejected and was hospitalized before succumbing to injuries.
This marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Dhaka’s recent history.
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