At least 25 children were among the 27 dead retired from burned buildings after a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft on a training mission crashed into a university and school campus in Dhaka, authorities said Tuesday, with 88 people treated in the hospital.
The BGI F-7 plane crashed shortly after it took off at 1:06 PM (12:06 PM PKT) on Monday from the air base in Kurmitola in the capital in a routine training mission. The army said the plane experienced a mechanical failure.
The images showed rescue workers touring carbonized buildings for debris when distressed family members surrounded the site.
Sayedur Rahman, a special health assistant, told journalists that 27 people had died and that 88 were admitted to the hospital with burns injuries. Those dead included 25 children, a teacher and the pilot.
The government announced a day of grieving, with flags in half -mast and special prayers in all places of worship.
The F-7 BGI is the final and most advanced variant in the Chongdu J-7/F-7 aircraft of China, according to Jane’s information group. Bangladesh signed a contract for 16 planes in 2011 and deliveries were completed for 2013.
The incident occurs when the Indian neighbor is still dealing with the worst aviation disaster in the world in a decade after an Air Indian plane crashed into a hostel of the University of Medicine in Ahmedabad last month, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground.
