Technical malfunction appeared before crash-landing: ISPR

The aircraft which crash-landed on a two-storey building of Milestone School this afternoon was a FT-7 BGI fighter jet.

The aircraft faced some technical malfaction after taking off from the AK Khandokar air base of Bangladesh Air Force as part of regular training.

The Inter Services Public Relations Directorate disclosed this in a press release.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence learnt about the crash-landing around 1:08 pm. At least 19 people, including the pilot, were reported dead in the incident and 164 sustained serious burn injuries.

The ISPR and the fire service confirmed the figures. However, the identities of the deceased are yet to be confirmed. However, the victims are mostly children and students of Milestone School.

The ISPR said, “To mitigate the situation and avoid major casualties, the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Md Toukir Islam, made every effort to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas towards a more sparsely inhabited location. Unfortunately, the aircraft crashed into a two-storey building of Milestone School and College in the Diabari area of Dhaka.”

It further said, this unexpected accident has resulted in the tragic deaths of 19 individuals, including the pilot, and injuries to 164 others. All injured persons are being swiftly transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and other nearby hospitals for necessary treatment, with the support of Bangladesh Air Force helicopters and ambulances.

The release also read, the Bangladesh Air Force is deeply saddened by this tragic incident and is actively engaged in providing full medical care and support to those affected. As the Chief of Air Staff is currently abroad on an official visit, the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Administration), senior officers of the Air Force, and rescue teams are present at the crash site.

The Air Force has already formed a top-level committee to investigate the reason for the crash-landing, the ISPR press realse said.