Death Toll In Military Training Jets In Bangladesh Increases To 31 People

JAKARTA - Bangladesh designated Tuesday as National Mourning Day, along with the death toll of a military training jet in the school complex soaring to 31 people.

Firefighters secured locations in a densely populated North Uttara neighborhood in Dhaka, while the military launched an investigation. The country's Civil Aviation Authority was not directly involved in the investigation.

Monday's accident at Milestone School and College caused a fire that scorched the two-story school building.

Milestone School, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) from an air force base, is located in a densely populated area near a metro station and a number of shops and homes.

Officials said 171 people, mostly students and many who suffered burns, were rescued and taken away by helicopter, ambulance, motorized tricycle, were embraced by firefighters and parents.

Twenty deaths were reported initially and seven people died from their injuries overnight, authorities said. Four other deaths were reported late Monday, the military said.

Maherin Chowdhury, a teacher who rescued more than 20 students from the burning school, died of severe burns, said his colleague, Tanzina Tanu.

"Yesterday, when the plane approached, it sounded so loud that I couldn't imagine, it felt like an eardrum would break. In five seconds, the plane crashed right in front of me," said a student named Smriti outside her school.

"Suddenly, I saw the fire rising high from the building," said the 11th grade student.

"When I arrived here, I saw several children lying with stretched limbs, some of their lifeless bodies scattered around. Can you save them? Tell me, will they be able to return to their parents' arms again?" he asked.

Doctors said Monday night that the condition of about two dozen injured victims is still critical. A blood donation post has been opened at a special hospital with burns where most of the injured victims are being treated.

"On Tuesday, 78 people, mostly students, were still being treated at the hospital," said Sayeedur Rahman, a special assistant to Bangladesh' interim leader, Muhammad Yunus.

Twenty bodies have been handed over to their families, some of which may require DNA matching after being charred.

Many relatives waited overnight at the hospital specifically for burns for the bodies of their loved ones.

Earlier, a Chinese-made F-7 BGI military trainer suffered "technical damage" moments after taking off from the AK Khandaker air force base at 13.06, Monday, according to a military statement.

Its pilot, Flight Lieutenant Mohammed Toukir Islam, has made "all efforts to divert aircraft from densely populated areas to locations where the population is rarer," the military said, adding they would investigate the cause of the crash.

It was the pilot's first solo flight when he finished his training. It's still unclear if he managed to eject himself before the jet hit the building.

The first funeral prayer was held for the late pilot in Dhaka on Tuesday morning, while the second prayer will be held in Rajshahi District in southwest Bangladesh, where his parents live.

It is known, this is the deadliest aircraft crash in the capital Bangladesh in history. In 2008, another F-7 training jet crashed outside Dhaka, killing its pilot who had ejected after finding technical problems.