Dozens dead as Bangladesh air force jet crashes on school
LONDON, BELGRADE, Serbia, and DHAKA, Bangladesh -- At least 31 people were killed and 78 were injured when a Bangladeshi air force jet crashed on a school in the capital Dhaka on Monday, officials said.
Among the victims were at least 29 children, according to a Tuesday statement from the Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) of the Bangladesh Armed Forces said.
The aircraft crashed on the grounds of the Milestone School and College, in the city's northern Uttara neighborhood, close to the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
"The rescue operation is still ongoing," Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury, the director of the ISPR, told ABC News. "It will take some more time. All injured or dead have been taken to four different hospitals."
The single-seater, Chinese-made F-7 BGI aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff after experiencing a "mechanical failure," Chowdhury said. The pilot -- Flt. Lt. Md Towkir Islam -- "made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas," Chowdhury said. "Despite his best efforts, the aircraft tragically crashed."
Islam died from his injuries as he was being taken to hospital, Chowdhury added.
"It was a training mission, part of regular training, not a bigger exercise," Chowdhury said. He added that the ISPR does not know yet if the aircraft had any prior technical issues.
Chowdhury said the rescue operation at the impact site is ongoing. "There may still be people inside," he said. "We are not yet sure if everyone is out of the building. The smoke and heat are very high."
A senior teacher at the school told ABC News that around 4,000 students study at the center. "But when the incident happened, around 1,000 students were present in the campus," the teacher said. The plane crashed next to the school's cafeteria.
ABC News' Salman Saeed contributed to this report.
