By: TPA News Desk | World News | www.thepointafricanews.com/world

A tragic accident occurred in Dhaka’s Uttara district at approximately 1:06 p.m. local time when a Bangladesh Air Force F‑7 BGI trainer jet crashed into the Milestone School and College campus shortly after takeoff. The aircraft, reportedly suffering a technical malfunction, struck a classroom block where hundreds of students were present.

According to official statements from the Air Force’s Inter‑Services Public Relations office, the pilot—Flight Lieutenant Mohammed Towkir Islam Sagar—attempted to steer the jet away from densely populated areas before ejecting. He was later pronounced dead at Combined Military Hospital. The crash claimed the lives of at least 20 individuals, most of whom were children, and left around 171 people injured—many suffering severe burns.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of pandemonium as the jet struck a school building, triggering an immense explosion that engulfed the campus in flames, smoke, and terror. Rescuers—including firefighters, military personnel, and civilians—rushed survivors to hospitals, using ambulances, rickshaws, and private vehicles amid chaotic scenes.

The government has declared Tuesday, July 22, a national day of mourning. Interim chief advisor Muhammad Yunus and leaders from across Bangladesh pledged full support to affected families and launched a high-level investigation into the incident.

This crash is one of the deadliest military aviation accidents in Dhaka in recent memory and closely mirrors a similar tragedy during a training flight near Chittagong in 2008.