People assist a student after an air force training aircraft crashed into Milestone College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Monday. EPA/MONIRUL ALAM
At least 20 people have been killed and more than 160 injured Monday after a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft crashed onto a school campus in the capital city of Dhaka.
Chief Adviser of the Bangladesh Government Muhammad Yunus released a statement that explained the training plane crashed into the Milestone School and College campus in the city’s Diayabari area, “resulting in casualties.” Students in the school range from elementary to high school grades.
Some of the bodies of the dead must be identified through DNA testing, which will then be transferred to their families.
The Bangladeshi military said in a statement that a mechanical error led to the crash that also killed the pilot, identified as Flight Lieutenant Md. Taukir Islam, who reportedly had attempted to steer the F-7 jet to a less populated area after the mechanical issue occurred.
The plane crashed into the second floor of a building where third and fourth graders were located. Yunus said the incident will be investigated.
“The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable,” Yunus continued. “This is a moment of profound pain for the nation.”
