Military Plane Crashes Into School Campus in Bangladesh, Leaving at Least 19 People Dead

The sound of lessons and laughter was shattered in an instant when a thunderous crash tore through the walls of Milestone School and College, leaving behind silence, smoke, and heartbreak.

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 while classes were in session. 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.

According to India Today, the military’s public relations department reportedly said, in a statement, “Bangladesh Air Force’s F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara. The aircraft took off at 13:06 (0706 GMT).”

Initially, a fire official reportedly told the Press Trust of India on X that at least one person had died in the crash, with more details to come.

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 others having sustained burns, 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. Also, 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, narrated, “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. A student also reportedly witnessed 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.