SAEDNEWS: A Bangladesh Air Force jet crashed into a college in the capital Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 19 people, according to emergency officials, in the country’s deadliest air incident in recent memory.
The crash at Milestone School and College campus, in the Diabari neighborhood of northern Dhaka, injured more than 100 others, according to a spokesperson for the country’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus, CNN reported.
At least 83 of those survivors – mostly students – were being treated in hospitals in the capital, some “in critical condition,” the spokesperson added.
The BAF F7 jet hit the campus around 1:18 p.m. local time (3:18 a.m. EST), according to state media BSS News, citing a Fire Service and Civil Defense official. The plane’s pilot was among those killed, The Associated Press reported, citing regional officials.
Scores of people rushed towards the crash site, where emergency crews could be seen trying to extinguish the smoking wreckage of the jet.
The government has announced a day of mourning and special prayers, BSS News said.
“I express my deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident of casualties caused by the crash,” Yunus wrote in a post on X.
“This is a moment of profound pain for the nation. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and direct all concerned authorities, including hospitals, to address the situation with the utmost priority,” the interim leader added.
