At least 3 Milestone students die in hospitals
At least three students of Milestone School and College have died in hospitals after a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed onto Milestone School and College in Uttara, Dhaka, on Monday afternoon, July 21.
The crash triggered a massive fire, leaving over 200 people burned, with dozens rushed to hospitals across the capital.
The deceased have been identified as: Junayet a Class 3 student, son of Aslam from Uttara Nayanagar, who died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) burn unit, Tanvir, who succumbed at the National Burn Institute; confirmed by resident physician Dr Shaon Bin Rahman; and Fatema, Class 3 student of the schools Bangla version died at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), said her uncle Leon Mir, a journalist of Boishakhi Television.
The identities of the students were confirmed by hospital authorities and family members. Two elderly individuals were also admitted to DMCH with 30 per cent burns, while two others were in critical condition.
The Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training jet took off at 1:06 pm from a local base and crashed shortly after into the Haider Hall canteen building of Milestone College. The impact caused a large explosion, sending flames through the campus and nearby structures.
According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, the aircraft was on a routine training mission when it went down.
The Fire Service confirmed one immediate death at the crash site and said 20 burn victims were taken to the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute, while four others, including Fatema, were taken to CMH.
Eyewitnesses reported chaos and panic as students, teachers, and parents fled the fire.
Social media footage showed children with severe burns running out of the building, while army personnel and locals rushed to rescue the injured.
The Fire Service deployed eight units to control the blaze, and two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were dispatched to maintain order.
At Dhaka Medical College Hospital, one male student and two elderly patients were undergoing treatment, though hospital authorities did not release further details.
The National Burn Institute is now in wartime mode, with medical staff preparing for more admissions.