The provisional death toll from the accidental crash of a Bangladeshi Air Force fighter jet into a school complex in Dhaka has risen to 31 as of Tuesday.
The aircraft crashed on Monday afternoon onto the Milestone school complex in northwest Dhaka, reportedly due to a mechanical failure, according to military sources.
The impact transformed a two-story building into a raging inferno, mere moments after primary school students had exited following their classes.
According to the latest report from the military, the accident resulted in 31 fatalities, including the pilot, and left over 170 people injured, primarily children who suffered severe burns.
“As of now, we have 69 patients still hospitalized,” stated Sayedur Rahman, a senior official from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, during a press briefing. “Ten of them are in critical condition,” he added.
This aviation disaster marks the deadliest incident of its kind in Bangladesh in decades.
Classes were canceled on Tuesday at Milestone School, which typically serves around 7,000 students, while parents, teachers, and officials gathered throughout the day at the site of the tragedy.
The pilot of the aircraft, Lieutenant Towkir Islam, 27, lost his life in the crash. The military reported that he attempted to steer the plane away from populated areas.
An investigation has been launched to determine the causes of the accident. “It appears that he encountered a mechanical issue,” the military stated on Monday.
