On July 21, 2025, according to officials from the Bangladeshi Fire Department, a Chinese-made Air Force training aircraft crashed at a school campus in the capital city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, resulting in at least 19 fatalities and dozens injured.
The military and fire officials reported that the Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed on Monday afternoon in the Uttara area of northern Dhaka at the Milestone School and College campus while students were attending classes.
This incident marks the deadliest plane crash in the capital region of Bangladesh in recent years.
In a statement released by the Bangladesh Armed Forces Public Relations Department, the F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06 p.m. local time on Monday, crashed shortly after, and immediately caught fire. The cause of the crash is still unclear.
A doctor from the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Bangladesh revealed that over fifty individuals, including children and adults, have been hospitalized for burns.
According to the Bangladeshi English daily newspaper, The Daily Star, citing data from various hospitals, the number of injured individuals exceeds 100.
Local media reports indicate that the majority of the injured are students who have been transported to different medical facilities, including military hospitals.
Rescue personnel are using tricycles or any available means of transportation to transport the injured individuals.
Acting head of the Bangladeshi interim government, Muhammad Yunus, stated that “necessary measures will be taken to investigate the cause of the accident and ensure that all kinds of assistance are provided.”
“The losses suffered by the Air Force, students, parents, faculty, and other personnel in this incident are irreparable,” he said.
Footage following the crash shows a large fire near the school campus lawn, with thick smoke rising into the sky.
Images from Reuters show firefighters spraying water on the wreckage of the aircraft, which appears to have struck the side of a building, leaving a large hole in the structure.
According to Reuters, school teacher Masud Tarik mentioned, “When I went to pick up the children and reached the door, I realized there was something behind… I heard an explosion. When I turned around, all I saw was fire and smoke.”