Death toll in Bangladesh air force jet crash rises to 27

Dhaka (Web Desk/Agencies): A devastating accident unfolded in Dhaka on Monday when a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft plummeted into an educational complex, claiming at least 27 lives—most of them children—and leaving dozens more injured.

The crash occurred shortly after 1:00 PM local time, moments after the F-7 BGI fighter jet departed from Kurmitola airbase on a routine training flight. Officials have attributed the tragedy to a mechanical malfunction.

Among those who perished were 25 students, a schoolteacher, and the pilot of the aircraft. The inferno that followed the impact left buildings charred and lifeless. Emergency personnel were seen combing through smoldering ruins, while anguished families looked on, many desperately searching for news of their loved ones.

Health authorities reported that 88 individuals, many suffering severe burns, were receiving treatment in local hospitals. The nation responded with grief, as the government declared a day of national mourning. Flags were flown at half-mast, and special prayers were held across the country’s religious sites.

The aircraft involved was an F-7 BGI, the most advanced model in China’s Chengdu J-7 series.

Bangladesh had procured 16 of these jets under a 2011 agreement, with deliveries finalized by 2013.

The crash has reignited concerns over aviation safety in the region, coming on the heels of a catastrophic incident in India just weeks prior, when an Air India passenger jet slammed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and 19 on the ground.

As investigations begin, the nation grapples with the overwhelming loss, particularly the young lives cut short in a place where they had come to learn and grow.