Fire service concludes rescue operation at aircraft crash site in Uttara

The Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) has announced the completion of its rescue operation following the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) FT-7 BGI fighter jet crash that struck a building of Milestone School and College in Uttara, Dhaka, killing 20 and injuring 171.

“We concluded the rescue operation at 8:30pm today,” said Md Shajahan Sikder, officer-in-charge of the FSCD media cell, speaking to BSS on Monday night.

However, an FSCD unit remained on site until the debris was fully cleared, finally returning to their station at 9:10pm.

The FSCD was alerted about the crash at 1:18pm and initiated rescue operations just four minutes later at 1:22pm. During the mission, 116 injured individuals were rescued, and 19 bodies were recovered from the site. A total of 186 FSCD personnel were involved in the operation.

According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the crash resulted in 20 deaths, including that of Flight Lieutenant Toukir Islam, and 171 injuries.

The jet, which had taken off at 1:06pm from BAF Base AK Khandaker in Kurmitola for a routine training flight, reportedly suffered a mechanical failure, the specifics of which will be disclosed upon completion of the investigation, ISPR added.