At least 27 people, including 25 children, died after a Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crashed into a school and college campus in Dhaka on Monday, in what is now one of the country’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent history. Officials confirmed that the crash occurred shortly after 1:06 p.m. local time, when an F-7 BGI aircraft on a routine training mission experienced mechanical failure and plummeted into the densely populated campus.
The incident took place shortly after the aircraft took off from Kurmitola Airbase in the capital. The jet, which was being operated by a single pilot, lost control and crashed into multiple buildings housing classrooms and students, igniting a massive blaze. Authorities reported that 88 people have been hospitalized with severe burn injuries, many of them students and staff who were attending afternoon sessions.
Among the dead are 25 children, a teacher, and the pilot. Rescue workers toiled for hours through scorched debris and collapsed structures to retrieve the victims, as anguished family members gathered at the site. Heart-wrenching visuals showed grieving parents and relatives awaiting news of their loved ones, while firefighters and medics battled flames and smoke.
Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser on health, confirmed the death toll and stated that several of the injured remain in critical condition.
In response to the tragedy, the Bangladeshi government declared a national day of mourning. Flags were flown at half-mast across public buildings, and special prayers were held in mosques, temples, churches, and other places of worship.
The F-7 BGI jet is the most advanced variant of China’s Chengdu J-7/F-7 series. Bangladesh acquired 16 of these aircraft under a 2011 deal, with deliveries completed by 2013. While commonly used for training and air patrol missions, questions are now being raised about the safety of the aging fleet.
This disaster comes amid heightened aviation concerns in South Asia, as neighboring India is still recovering from a separate tragedy in Ahmedabad last month, where an Air India plane crash claimed 260 lives.
An official investigation into the Dhaka crash has been launched to determine the cause of the mechanical failure and assess accountability.
