At least 19 people were killed and more than 70 injured on Monday, July 21, 2025, when a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a school building in Dhaka, triggering a massive emergency response and national mourning.

The crash occurred when classes were underway. The China-made F-7 BGI aircraft slammed into the Milestone School and College building in the capital’s Uttara area. According to military officials, the jet had taken off just minutes earlier before it lost control midair and struck the three-story structure while classes were in session.

Initially, a fire official was reportedly quoted in a report by the Press Trust of India stating that the crash killed at least one person. The post, however, said more updates will be provided.

College staff initiated rescue operations before emergency crews arrived. Rescue teams from the army, fire service, and residents then rushed in, many carrying injured children in their arms to waiting vehicles or rickshaw vans in the absence of ambulances. The plane appeared to have rammed into the front of the building, leaving a large hole and twisted metal debris behind.

Rafiqa Taha, a 16-year-old student who was not present at the time, reportedly told the Associated Press by phone, “I was terrified watching videos on TV. My God! It’s my school.” Milestone School and College serves approximately 2,000 students from elementary to twelfth grade.

An eyewitness video also showed thick black smoke billowing from the building as panicked students, some bleeding and burned, fled the scene.

This marks the second time this year a Chinese-made F-7 fighter jet has crashed in the region. A similar aircraft operated by the Myanmar Air Force crashed in June, killing the pilot. Reuters reports that a military spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury, disclosed that the jet reportedly suffered a mechanical failure soon after takeoff.

“The pilot … made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas. Despite his best efforts, the aircraft … crashed into a two-storey building belonging to Milestone School and College,” Chowdhury reportedly added.

The pilot was among those killed, and a military investigation committee has been formed to determine the cause of the mechanical failure. The publication also reports that Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, said, “A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital [sic].”

Dr. Md Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant Professor for Health to the Chief Advisor, added that 48 of the injured remain in critical condition, with others receiving treatment at various facilities, including the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

One teacher, Masud Tarik, told the publication, “When I was picking my kids and went to the gate, I realised something came from behind … I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke.”

Another eyewitness, Rezaul Islam, a teacher at the college, told BBC Bangla he watched the jet “directly” hit the building. The publication also reports that a student said he witnessed when the plane hit the building.

Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladesh’s interim government, also reportedly assured that the necessary measures would be taken to investigate the cause of the tragic accident.

“This is a moment of deep sorrow for the nation. I wish the injured a speedy recovery and instruct all authorities, including the hospitals concerned, to deal with the situation with utmost importance,” he reportedly said in a post on X.

Bangladesh has announced a day of mourning on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, when the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the country.

As authorities begin investigating the cause of the crash, Bangladesh continues to mourn one of the most tragic peacetime aviation accidents in its capital’s history.