A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school and college campus in Dhaka on Monday, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 50, many with severe burns, according to emergency officials.

The crash took place at Milestone School and College in the capital’s northern Uttara neighborhood shortly after the aircraft took off. Authorities said the F-7 BGI jet had departed at 13:06 local time (0706 GMT).

“Bangladesh Air Force’s F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara,” the military’s public relations department confirmed in a statement.

Firefighters and army members carry the body of a victim after an air force training aircraft crashed into Milestone College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 21, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Dozens Injured, Including Children

Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, said, “A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital.”

More than 50 people—students, teachers, and nearby residents—were taken to hospitals across the city, with many being treated for burns at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, as reported in Reuters.

An ambulance carrying injured people comes out of the spot after an air force training aircraft crashed into Milestone College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 21, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain

Witnesses described a scene of panic and devastation. “When I was picking up my kids and went to the gate, I realized something came from behind… I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke,” said Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school.

Wreckage and Response

Video footage from the scene showed flames and thick smoke rising from the wreckage near a school lawn, as crowds gathered in shock. The plane appeared to have slammed into the side of a building, twisting iron grills and creating a large hole in the structure.

Firefighters and soldiers work next to the wreckage of an air force training aircraft after it crashed into Milestone College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 21, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer

Firefighters quickly responded, dousing the flames and recovering the remains of the aircraft. Army personnel also joined the rescue and cleanup efforts.

Government Promises Investigation

Interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus expressed condolences and said authorities would launch a full investigation.

A passenger airplane flies as onlookers watch a rescue operation after an air force training aircraft crashed into Milestone College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 21, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain

“The loss suffered by the Air Force, students, parents, teachers and staff, and others in this accident is irreparable,” Yunus said, pledging “necessary measures” to determine the cause of the crash and ensure all possible support to those affected.

The incident comes just weeks after an Air India jet crashed into a college dormitory in Ahmedabad, killing over 250 people, including 19 on the ground, in the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.