Teacher recalls horror: 350 students in class when plane crashed

Two explosions rocked the Milestone School and College building in Dhaka’s Uttara shortly after a military aircraft crashed into it on Monday, June 21, triggering a massive fire that engulfed parts of the campus. 

Many people, including students and teachers, suffered burns in the incident.

Waliullah, a senior teacher at the school branch of Milestone School and College, recounted the terrifying moments to Jago News during an interview on Tuesday. 

He was present at the school when the tragedy occurred.

According to Waliullah, the plane flew in repeated circles – similar to manoeuvres typically performed by fighter jets – before crashing. 

"It seemed as if the pilot was trying to leave Dhaka," he said.

He described the crash scene in harrowing detail: "When the plane hit the building, there were two explosions. The first was relatively quiet, followed by fire breaking out at the rear. About six or seven seconds later, a second, much louder explosion occurred, and then flames spread rapidly in all directions."

In shock and confusion, Waliullah said he didn’t know how to react. "The school bus was scheduled to depart from right next door at 1:30pm. A man jumped out of the bus and shouted, 'Sir, save us!'" he recalled.

Waliullah also provided information about student presence at the time of impact. "Our institution has over 10,000 students across all sections. In the school division alone, there are 3,800 students. At the time of the crash, approximately 350 students were attending classes in the building where the plane struck."