19 killed, 164 injured in Bangladesh Air Force jet crash in Dhaka (Lead)

Dhaka, July 21 (IANS) At least 19 people, most of them reportedly children, were killed and around 164 injured when a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school building in capital Dhaka Monday afternoon.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media division of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, stated that the pilot of the crashed training aircraft was among the 19 people who lost their lives in the accident.

According to the ISPR, the Bangladesh Air Force's F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06 pm, local time on Monday and crashed into the Milestone School and College building in Dhaka's Uttara around 1.30 PM.

"As you all know, today an F-7 BJI fighter aircraft of the Air Force made a crash landing at approximately 1:00 pm in the two-story school building of our Milestone School and College's Uttara branch. On the first floor of this two-story building, there were classes for third and fourth graders. On the second floor, there were classes for second and fifth graders. There was a meeting room for the principal's office next to it. A coaching class was in progress," Brigadier General Mohammad Zahed Kamal, the Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence, was quoted as saying by Bangladesh's leading Bengali daily, Prothom Alo.

A Milestone College teacher told 'The Daily Star' newspaper that he was standing near the college building when the aircraft hit the front side of the three-storey school building, trapping several students.

"The college teachers and staff rushed to rescue the students. Members of the army arrived shortly afterwards, followed by firefighters who joined the rescue operation," the newspaper reported.

Members of the Bangladesh Army and eight engines of Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot and started rescue operations, according to a fire service notification.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Tribune reported that eght units from the Uttara, Tongi, Pallabi, Kurmitola, Mirpur, and Purbachal fire services are working at the scene.

"Videos circulating on social media show several people being rescued with injuries. They were being taken to Uttara Adhunik Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Govt Hospital, Uttara Women’s Medical College, Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College Hospital," the newspaper reported.

--IANS

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