New Delhi, July 21 (EFE).- At least 16 people were killed and around 100 injured on Monday in Bangladesh when a military training aircraft crashed near a university campus in northern Dhaka, a government spokesperson said.
“Sixteen people have died. Most of the victims are students,” Azad Majumder, deputy spokesperson for Bangladesh’s interim government, told EFE.
Around 100 others sustained injuries due to the crash, and several of them were in a serious condition.
The aircraft went down near Milestone School and College building in the Diabari area of Dhaka; emergency response teams were quickly deployed to the site, the official said.
According to local media reports, 28 of the injured were admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
The interim government has declared a national day of mourning on Tuesday, during which flags will fly at half-mast at all government institutions.
The aircraft reportedly caught fire after impact, producing a thick column of smoke. Multiple fire service units were deployed to the scene to extinguish the blaze.
Interim government head Muhammad Yunus expressed his “deep shock and sorrow” over the tragedy, which he said involved a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training aircraft.
“The loss suffered in this incident by Air Force personnel, as well as students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, is irreparable. This is a moment of profound sorrow for the nation,” he said in a statement.
The prime minister added that the bodies of those victims whose identities are confirmed would be handed over to their families without delay, while the others would undergo DNA testing.
The authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. EFE
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