At least 19 people were killed and 164 injured when a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a college and school campus in the capital, Dhaka, on Monday.
The F-7 BGI jet encountered a mechanical failure shortly after take-off, said Lt Col Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury. He said it took off shortly after 1pm from the Bangladesh Air Force base in Kurmitola, Dhaka, as part of a routine training mission, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
"The pilot ... made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas," he said. "Despite his best efforts, the aircraft ... crashed into a two-storey building belonging to Milestone School and College."
Video of the aftermath of the crash showed a large fire and thick plume of smoke, as crowds watched from a distance. Firefighters sprayed water on the mangled remains of the plane, which appeared to have rammed into the side of the building, damaging iron grilles and creating a gaping hole in the structure, footage filmed by Reuters showed.
The pilot was among those killed, the military said. It said a committee had been set up to investigate the cause.
