At least 27 people, including children and the pilot, were killed after a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a school and college campus in the capital Dhaka on Monday, officials confirmed. Another 88 people are currently receiving treatment for burn injuries at various hospitals.

Security and relief personnel carry an injured victim to an ambulance during a search and rescue operation after a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into school in Dhaka on July 21, 2025.

The F-7 BGI aircraft, a Chinese-made fighter jet, went down shortly after taking off from the Kurmitola Airbase at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) during a routine training flight. According to a military statement, the crash was caused by a sudden mechanical failure.

Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser on health, confirmed the death toll and the number of injured during a press briefing. He said many of the victims were students and staff who were on the campus at the time of the incident.

The mother of an injured student weeps inside a hospital after an Air Force training jet crashed into a school in Dhaka on July 21, 2025.

The government has declared a national day of mourning, with flags flown at half-mast and special prayers to be held at all places of worship across the country.

The Bangladesh military stated that a formal investigation committee has been formed to determine the exact cause of the crash.

The F-7 BGI is the most advanced version of China’s Chengdu J-7/F-7 fighter jet series. Bangladesh purchased 16 of these aircraft under a 2011 agreement, with deliveries completed by 2013.

Wreckage of the crashed jet/Sourced Image

The incident comes just weeks after a devastating crash involving an Air India aircraft that slammed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad, India, killing 241 passengers and crew along with 19 people on the ground — the deadliest aviation disaster globally in the past decade.

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