On Monday, a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft, an FT-7 jet, crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka. Sadly this most recent tragedy has taken the lives of over 31, including 25 of these children just last week. The incident occurred at approximately 1:18 p.m. local time (3:18 a.m. EST) shortly after the aircraft took off on a routine mission. The armed forces initially blamed the crash on a mechanical failure.
Milestone School and College campus was home to a kindergarten, an elementary school, and a high school separated by grade level. Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed by the force of the jet’s impact. Almost 100 students between the ages of six and 13 filled the building that was hit. The destruction has raised immediate and critical concerns surrounding protective measures for educational institutions located within military training zones.
Witnesses described a thundering roar as the fighter jet crashed. Witness Mohammad Imran Hussein, who was first on the scene, said it was a terrifying sight.
“The sound was really intolerable. And I looked around to see what happened, I saw the tail of the plane. I saw a huge flame of fire.” – Mohammad Imran Hussein
Given the nature of their injuries, initial estimates suggest that the death toll will continue to rise. 165 people were injured in the accident, most with serious burn injuries. Amidst the chaos, students have expressed their grief and confusion, demanding transparency from the government regarding the actual number of casualties.
Muhammad Yunus, leader of Bangladesh’s interim government, mourned the incident. He called it “apocalyptic, completely apocalyptic,” as he sought the words to express the scale of the disaster.
“What answer can we give to their parents? What can we possibly say to them? We can’t even answer ourselves.” – Muhammad Yunus
The crash has left the country of 171 million people in shock and grief. Its impact has triggered a national outcry demanding accountability and justice for the families of those killed. Eyewitness accounts were harrowing as local rescuers did everything they could to pull orphaned children from under piles of wreckage. Another witness, Sheik Rameen, described his terrifying ordeal.
“I saw a lot of children, I tried to save their lives. I saw a burnt child seek help but nobody came to help them.” – Sheik Rameen
Rameen stressed the horror of the circumstances. She went on to explain that it felt like the building had suddenly become a “death trap.”
“It’s like this building was turned into a death trap. It was horrible, totally horrible.” – Sheik Rameen
As the community grapples with the aftermath of this catastrophe, questions surrounding safety regulations for military training flights near populated areas have intensified. Parents and students from both incidents are demanding action and tougher safeguards to prevent these tragedies from ever happening again.
