Mechanical failure cause of Bangladesh fighter jet that crashed into school say authorities

A F-7 fighter jet departed Kurmitola Air Force Base in Bangladesh at 1:06 p.m. local time for a routine training mission but experienced a mechanical failure shortly after take-off, killing at least 27 people, including 25 children on Monday according to the Bangladesh Air Force.

The pilot attempted to steer the aircraft away from densely populated areas to minimise civilian casualties, but it ploughed into a two-storey building on the school campus according to authorities.

The building belonged to Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Diabari area, about 10 kilometres from the base.

Footage from the scene showed mangled wreckage embedded in the side of the structure, bending iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the wall.

Rescue workers said they had retrieved the bodies of 27 people, including 25 pupils and a teacher, from the debris. More than 100 children and 15 other people were injured, of whom 78 remained in hospital with burn injuries, officials said.

The aircraft was an F-7, the final and most advanced variant of China’s Chengdu J-7 family. Bangladesh signed a contract in 2011 for 16 such planes, with deliveries completed by 2013, Jane’s Information Group said.

The Bangladesh Air Force has formed a high-level committee to investigate the crash, the service said. Interim government head Muhammad Yunus vowed on Tuesday to take “all necessary measures” to determine its cause, while the government pledged to provide assistance to those affected.

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