Bangladesh: Plane crashes into campus, at least 19 dead

At least 19 people were killed and 164 injured when a Bangladesh Air Force military training plane crashed into a school and college campus in the capital Dhaka on Monday after experiencing a technical failure shortly after takeoff, a military spokesman said, Reuters reported.

The F-7 BGI aircraft took off at 13:06 p.m. local time from Kurmitola Air Base in Dhaka, as part of a routine training mission, but soon developed a mechanical failure, said Lieutenant Colonel Sami Ud Dovla Chaudhury.

"The pilot... bravely attempted to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas. Despite his efforts, the aircraft... crashed into a two-story building belonging to Milestone School and College," the spokesman said.

The pilot was among the casualties, the military said, adding that a commission had been formed to investigate the cause of the accident.

Fire and despair at the scene of the accident

Video footage taken after the accident showed a large fire near the lawn, with a thick column of smoke rising into the sky, as people gathered watched from a distance.

Firefighters doused the wreckage of the plane, which, according to Reuters footage, had crashed into the side of the building, damaging the iron grilles and blowing a large hole in the structure.

"A third-grade student was brought dead, and three other injured – aged 12, 14 and 40 – were admitted to the hospital," said Bidhan Sarker, head of the burns unit at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where some of the victims were taken.

Photos from the scene show people screaming and crying, while others try to comfort them, according to Reuters.

"As I was coming to pick up my children and approached the gate, I felt something fly from behind... I heard an explosion. When I turned around, I saw only fire and smoke," said Masud Tariq, a teacher at the school.

The accident occurred just over a month after an Air India plane crashed into a medical college dormitory in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, the worst air disaster in a decade.