Staff Reporter:
The authorities have so far handed over 20 bodies to the families of the 31 people, most of them school children, killed in the crash of a Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) FT-7 BGI fighter training jet at Milestone School and College in the capital’s Uttara on Monday afternoon.
“Twenty seven people have died so far in the crash of a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft at the Milestone School and College campus in Uttara. Of the injured, 78 people are undergoing treatment at various hospitals,” said Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Health and Family Welfare.
He was briefing newsmen at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery this morning.
Dr Sayedur confirmed that among the deceased were 25 children, one pilot and one teacher. The identi-ties of six victims remain unconfirmed, while 20 bodies have been handed over to families after proper identification.
He requested all not to crowd at the hospital, saying, “We need little blood. Those with negative blood groups will have to come in a few.”
Twelve of the victims whose bodies have been handed over to families were identified as: Fatema Akh-ter, 9, daughter of Gani Sheikh of Bagerhat; Samiul Karim, 9 of Barishal; Rajoni Islam, 37 of Kushtia; Mehnaz Afrin Huraira, 9 of Tangail; Sharia Akhter, 13, daughter of Rafique Mollah of Dhaka; Nusrat Jahan Anika, 10, of Dhaka; Saad Salauddin, 9, son of Mukul Salauddin of Dhaka’s Mirpur; Saima Akh-ter, 9, daughter of Shah Alam, of Gazipur; AB Shamim, 14; Afnan, 14; Tanvir, 14 and Milestone School and College teacher Maherin Chowdhury, 46.
The body of Air Force pilot Flight Lieutenant Towkir Islam has been kept at the morgue.
The ISPR earlier confirmed that 171 people were also injured in the crash.
In addition, two firefighters suffered injuries while they were conducting rescue operations. But, they are now out of danger, fire service sources said.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence wrapped up the rescue operation at 8:30pm on Monday.
The aircraft crash took place due to mechanical fault (the details of which will be disclosed after investi-gation) after taking off from the Bangladesh Air Force Base AK Khandaker in Kurmitola at 01:06pm on Monday as part of a regular training, the ISPR said.
The FT-7 training jet crashed into a building of Milestone School and College around 1:18pm on Mon-day, fire service sources said
