At least 19 people have died and more than 100 are injured after a Bangladeshi air force training aircraft crashed into a school campus in the capital, Dhaka, on Monday, according to authorities.
The Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI aircraft crashed onto the campus of Milestone School and College, in Dhaka’s Uttara neighborhood, on Monday afternoon, where students were taking tests or attending regular classes.
The military said the jet took off at 1:06 p.m. local time and crashed soon after, catching fire immediately.
Bangladesh’s leading English daily, The Daily Star, reported more than 100 injuries based on data from various hospitals. Local media indicated most of the injured were students and were transported to different medical facilities, including a military hospital.
Parents and relatives panicked at the scene as rescuers, using tri-cycle rickshaws or whatever was available, transported the injured.
Authorities have not released details of the deceased.
Rafiqa Taha, a student at the school who was not present at the time of the crash, told The Associated Press by phone that Milestone School and College, with some 2,000 students, runs classes from elementary to twelfth grade. On Monday, she said, some students were taking tests while others attended regular classes. (AP)