By Staff Correspondent, Dhaka –
The death toll from Monday’s Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) fighter jet crash at Milestone School and College in the capital’s Uttara area has risen to 31, officials confirmed on Tuesday. Among the deceased are 25 children, one teacher, and the pilot.
The crash occurred around 1:18 pm on Monday when an FT-7 BGI aircraft, part of a routine training exercise, crashed into a school building just 12 minutes after taking off from the BAF Base AK Khandaker in Kurmitola. Fire service sources confirmed that the plane caught fire immediately upon impact, causing extensive damage and casualties.
At a press briefing held Tuesday morning at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Health and Family Welfare, confirmed the latest death toll. He said 165 injured individuals are currently undergoing treatment at 10 hospitals across the capital. Of the 31 deceased, 20 bodies have so far been identified and handed over to their families.
Dr. Rahman urged the public not to overcrowd hospitals and said there was currently no urgent need for blood, except for a few donors with rare negative blood types.
Twelve of the victims identified and returned to families include Fatema Akhter (9, Bagerhat), Samiul Karim (9, Barishal), Rajoni Islam (37, Kushtia), Mehnaz Afrin Huraira (9, Tangail), Sharia Akhter (13, Dhaka), Nusrat Jahan Anika (10, Dhaka), Saad Salauddin (9, Mirpur), Saima Akhter (9, Gazipur), AB Shamim (14), Afnan (14), Tanvir (14), and Maherin Chowdhury (46), a teacher at the school.
The body of Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam, the pilot of the ill-fated jet, has been kept at the morgue. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR), the pilot made a last-minute effort to divert the aircraft to a less populated area to reduce civilian casualties.
The ISPR also stated that a total of 171 people were injured in the crash, including two firefighters who sustained injuries during the rescue operations but are now out of danger.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence concluded their rescue operations at 8:30 pm on Monday.
An emergency hotline—01949-043697—has been launched at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute to assist families affected by the crash.
In response to the tragedy, the government has postponed all Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations scheduled for Tuesday, including those under the National University.
Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus expressed profound sorrow at the loss of lives and pledged a thorough investigation into the incident. He also assured free and proper medical care for all those injured. Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum has directed all public and private hospitals to offer treatment to victims without charge.
Meanwhile, the Chief Adviser’s press wing dismissed rumors that the government was concealing casualty figures. It said the identities of all deceased individuals are being carefully verified, and DNA tests are being used to identify bodies that remain unrecognizable.
