Nearly all of the 31 killed when a Bangladeshi fighter jet crashed were children. Dozens more were being treated in burn centers as the nation declared a day of mourning.
The third- and fourth-grade schoolchildren were settling into a typical lunch break in their classrooms on Monday when the plane crashed into their building.
A fighter jet had suddenly flipped in midair moments before it slammed into the two-story building, said Abu Sayed Mohammad Waliullah, a teacher at the school in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, who had been chatting with other teachers outside. The plane exploded with a bang so loud it sounded like a bomb had gone off, he said.
“My mind went blank. I couldn’t understand what had just happened,” Mr. Waliullah said. Then, after what seemed like 10 seconds, he heard another blast as the plane’s jet fuel ignited.
“This time, it created a big, big fire,” Mr. Waliullah recalled. “I saw at least two students flung away by the force.”
At least 31 people were killed, including the pilot. The tragedy at the Milestone School and College has led to a national outpouring of grief. Most of those who died were schoolchildren. An additional 165 people were wounded, according to a statement the military issued on Tuesday afternoon.
