Tragic Plane Crash at Bangladeshi School: 27 Dead, Including 25 Children

Bangladesh is reeling from a devastating plane crash that claimed the lives of at least 27 people, most of them schoolchildren.

The disaster struck on Monday afternoon when an F-7 BGI fighter jet, on a routine training mission, plummeted into buildings at Milestone School and College in Dhaka, the nation’s capital.

The jet had taken off from Kurmitola Airbase at 1:06 p.m. local time. Shortly after departure, the pilot reported technical issues. Within minutes, he lost control, and the aircraft slammed into the campus, erupting in flames and leaving a trail of destruction.

“Twenty-seven people are confirmed dead, and 88 others have been hospitalized with burn injuries,” Sayedur Rahman, a special adviser to Bangladesh’s chief health officer, told reporters, citing figures from Reuters. Among the dead were 25 children, a teacher, and the pilot himself.

The Bangladeshi government has declared a national day of mourning. Flags will fly at half-mast, and special prayers are planned nationwide to honor the victims.

This tragedy ranks among the deadliest incidents in the country’s recent history. It also echoes a similar calamity in neighboring India, where a passenger plane recently crashed into a hostel at a medical college in Ahmedabad, killing more than 260 people.

Both crashes have reignited concerns over aviation safety across South Asia.

The F-7 BGI, a Chinese-built Chengdu J-7 variant, is the most advanced fighter in Bangladesh’s arsenal. The country acquired 16 of these jets between 2011 and 2013 as part of a sweeping air force modernization effort.

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