The joyful sounds of lessons and laughter at Milestone School and College were abruptly shattered by a deafening roar as a military training jet from the Bangladesh Air Force slammed into the school building. In an instant, the vibrant campus was engulfed in smoke and chaos, leaving behind silence and heartbreak.
On Monday, July 21, 2025, the devastating crash claimed at least 19 lives and injured over 70 others. The tragedy sparked an immediate and massive emergency response, plunging the nation into deep mourning.
Bangladesh’s fire service and security teams launched a swift search and rescue operation after an Air Force training jet crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka on July 21, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
The tragedy struck in the middle of a school day. A China-made F-7 BGI aircraft, having taken off just minutes before, suddenly lost control and violently collided with the three-story Milestone School and College building in the Uttara district of the capital.
Military officials confirmed the jet went down while classes were in session, turning a routine day into a nightmare. Early reports from a fire official, cited by the Press Trust of India, initially mentioned at least one fatality, with more updates expected as rescue efforts continue.
Before emergency crews could arrive, college staff sprang into action, launching immediate rescue efforts. Soon after, rescue teams from the army, fire service, and local residents poured in, many cradling injured children as they rushed them to waiting vehicles and rickshaw vans—since ambulances were scarce. The plane had slammed into the front of the building with devastating force, leaving behind a gaping hole and a tangled mess of twisted metal debris.
Members of the Bangladesh Army and fire service began urgent rescue operations after a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 aircraft crashed into a building at Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara district on July 21, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
Sixteen-year-old student Rafiqa Taha, who was not at school during the crash, told the Associated Press over the phone, “I was terrified watching the videos on TV. My God! That’s my school.” Milestone School and College is home to nearly 2,000 students, ranging from elementary through twelfth grade.
An eyewitness video captured thick black smoke billowing from the wreckage as panicked students, some injured and bleeding, fled the scene in chaos and fear.
This tragic incident marks the second crash involving a Chinese-made F-7 fighter jet in the region this year. In June, a similar aircraft operated by the Myanmar Air Force went down, resulting in the pilot’s death. According to Reuters, Lieutenant Colonel Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury, a military spokesperson, revealed that the Bangladesh Air Force jet likely suffered a mechanical failure shortly after takeoff.
Bangladesh’s fire service and security personnel conducted a search and rescue operation after an Air Force training jet crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka on July 21, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
Lieutenant Colonel Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury described the pilot’s heroic efforts: “The pilot made a valiant attempt to steer the aircraft away from densely populated areas. Despite his best efforts, the jet crashed into a two-story building belonging to Milestone School and College.”
Tragically, the pilot was among those killed. A military investigation committee has been established to uncover the cause of the mechanical failure. Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, reported, “A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14, and 40, were admitted for treatment.”
A person is carried to safety by members of the Bangladesh Army and fire service after the Bangladesh Air Force F-7 aircraft crashed into a building at Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara district around 1:30 p.m. on July 21, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
Dr. Md Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant Professor for Health to the Chief Advisor, reported that 48 of the injured remain in critical condition, while others are receiving care at various medical facilities, including the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school, recounted the terrifying moment: “When I was picking up my kids at the gate, I suddenly sensed something behind me… Then I heard a massive explosion. When I turned around, all I saw was fire and thick smoke.”
People anxiously search for their loved ones in the aftermath of the Bangladesh Air Force F-7 aircraft crash at Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara district on July 21, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
Rezaul Islam, a teacher at the college, told BBC Bangla that he witnessed the jet “directly” collide with the building. A student also shared a harrowing account of seeing the plane strike the school.
Muhammad Yunus, leader of Bangladesh’s interim government, vowed that all necessary steps would be taken to thoroughly investigate the cause of this tragic accident.
Parents and families anxiously search for their children after the Bangladesh Air Force F-7 aircraft crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka on July 21, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
“This is a moment of profound sorrow for our nation,” the interim government leader said in a post on X. “I wish a speedy recovery to all the injured and have directed all relevant authorities, including hospitals, to treat this situation with the highest priority.”
In honor of the victims, Bangladesh has declared Tuesday, July 22, 2025, a day of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast across the country.
People react with shock and sorrow after the Bangladesh Air Force F-7 aircraft crashed into a building at Milestone School and College in Dhaka on July 21, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
As authorities launch a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash, Bangladesh mourns one of the most devastating peacetime aviation tragedies in the history of its capital.