Milestone plane crash: At least 16 killed, 72 with burn injuries

At least six people, including several children, lost their lives and dozens of students suffered burn injuries after a Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) training aircraft crashed and burst into flames upon hitting a primary school building within the Milestone College campus in Diabari, Uttara, this afternoon (21 July).

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that the F-7 BGI training jet went down shortly after taking off at 1:06pm.

Dozens of injured individuals were taken to various hospitals, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (NIBPS), following the crash.

Speaking to the media at NIBPS, Dr Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, confirmed that over 60 people had been admitted so far, and three fatalities had been recorded. One of the deceased was declared dead on arrival at NIBPS, according to a correspondent on the scene.

Family members also confirmed the death of journalist Leon Mir’s daughter, whose body was taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) after the crash.

Meanwhile, several eyewitness videos circulating on social media showed first responders moving two bodies from the site, although official confirmation of those deaths and their identities is still pending.

Rescue and firefighting operations are ongoing with personnel from the Bangladesh Army, Fire Service and Civil Defence, police, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) all working at the crash site.

Firefighters reached the scene at approximately 1:22pm. According to the Fire Service, nine units from stations in Uttara, Tongi, Pallabi, Kurmitola, Mirpur, and Purbachal managed to bring the fire under control by 2:45pm.

Eyewitnesses said a body, severely burned and unidentifiable, was recovered from the wreckage, but no further details have been released by authorities.

The exact number of casualties remains uncertain. Videos shared by bystanders show Army personnel helping injured students, some of whom were visibly burned, away from the site.

Nuruzzaman Mridha, a teacher at the institute, described the chaotic aftermath: “We moved some of the injured onto rickshaws and vans. Their clothes were torn, and some were walking toward rescue vehicles with burn wounds on their bodies.”

In one harrowing scene outside Lubana General Hospital in Uttara, a student was seen running across the road, carrying another burn-injured student in his lap before securing an ambulance to transport him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Naimul Hasan Adit, a first-year arts student at Milestone College, witnessed the moment the aircraft struck Building No 7—used by college students—before crashing into the primary school building, roughly 100 to 150 meters away.

“The pilot ejected with a parachute and landed safely, but the school building caught fire,” he said.

The building impacted by the crash housed classrooms for young children from playgroup through grade 5, as well as a canteen.

Earlier confirmations of the crash were given by Mohidul Islam, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Uttara Division, and Tarikul Islam, public relations officer at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

A firefighter involved in the rescue mission told The Business Standard that numerous students sustained burns of varying severity in the resulting blaze.

Patients have continued arriving at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery from the crash site. One was confirmed admitted by Dr Shawon Bin Rahman, a resident physician at the institute.

Fire Service duty officer Lima Khanam told TBS that rescue efforts were ongoing and it was too early to determine the final number of casualties. An official briefing would be held at the scene once operations conclude.

The aircraft's pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md Towkir Islam of the Bangladesh Air Force, successfully ejected before the crash and was taken to CMH for treatment.

A college director, speaking anonymously, said, “The plane suddenly crashed into trees and greenery within the Diabari campus. It caught fire immediately, and students ran toward the site in panic.”

Eyewitnesses reported that the crash occurred just as classes had ended and students were leaving for the day.

To support rescue operations and maintain order, two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed at the scene.

Source: TBS