The sound was deafening, like “30 or 40 thunderbolts falling from the sky,” recalled 18-year-old Ahnaf Bin Hasan, who witnessed the Bangladesh Air Force F-7 fighter jet crash into his school, Milestone School and College, in Dhaka. This tragic incident unfolded on Monday and marks one of Bangladesh's deadliest aviation disasters, claiming the lives of at least 31 people, including many vulnerable schoolchildren.
Ahnaf, who was just feet away when the plane dove toward the school, described the scene as chaotic: “All I could see was smoke, fire, and darkness. Children were screaming. Everything was chaos.” His harrowing memory reveals the trauma etched in his mind even days after the crash. The pilot, who ejected shortly before the impact, tragically died in the hospital.
The crash occurred during a training flight when the aircraft reportedly experienced a mechanical failure. Witnesses, including Ahnaf, recounted heroic rescues and immense bravery amidst the turmoil. As flames engulfed parts of the school, students rushed to help their classmates escape the inferno, and one teacher, Mahreen Chowdhury, was killed helping at least 20 students flee.
Among the victims was 11-year-old Wakia Firdous Nidhi. Her family spent hours searching hospitals before identifying her body, a process complicated by bureaucratic hurdles. With multiple claimants for the bodies, the family felt the agony of loss compounded by the struggle to obtain Wakia’s remains, despite the clear sign identification they provided.
Haunting tales emerged from the ashes of tragedy, including stories of miraculous survivals, such as a mother whose decision to give her child money for a snack instead of a packed lunch saved his life. However, grief prevailed as another father faced the unbearable horror of burying both his children within hours.
In the aftermath, questions regarding casualty numbers and the scale of the tragedy have arisen. The government reported 29 deaths and over 100 injuries, while military sources estimated the toll to be 31. The discrepancies have led to speculation on social media of a potential cover-up, claims that the Bangladesh Armed Forces denied. Reportedly, five victims remain missing, and the pain of loss continues to ripple through the community.
School staff and survivors, including Ahnaf, struggle with the trauma. "I haven't slept for two days," he confessed, explaining that every sound sends him into a panic thinking another crash is imminent. The reality of living so close to the active flight path of Dhaka's airport now feels like a nightmare that many will not soon forget. “When I close my eyes, it’s not darkness I see - it’s smoke,” Ahnaf vulnerably expressed, encapsulating the deep scars left by that tragic day.
Ahnaf, who was just feet away when the plane dove toward the school, described the scene as chaotic: “All I could see was smoke, fire, and darkness. Children were screaming. Everything was chaos.” His harrowing memory reveals the trauma etched in his mind even days after the crash. The pilot, who ejected shortly before the impact, tragically died in the hospital.
The crash occurred during a training flight when the aircraft reportedly experienced a mechanical failure. Witnesses, including Ahnaf, recounted heroic rescues and immense bravery amidst the turmoil. As flames engulfed parts of the school, students rushed to help their classmates escape the inferno, and one teacher, Mahreen Chowdhury, was killed helping at least 20 students flee.
Among the victims was 11-year-old Wakia Firdous Nidhi. Her family spent hours searching hospitals before identifying her body, a process complicated by bureaucratic hurdles. With multiple claimants for the bodies, the family felt the agony of loss compounded by the struggle to obtain Wakia’s remains, despite the clear sign identification they provided.
Haunting tales emerged from the ashes of tragedy, including stories of miraculous survivals, such as a mother whose decision to give her child money for a snack instead of a packed lunch saved his life. However, grief prevailed as another father faced the unbearable horror of burying both his children within hours.
In the aftermath, questions regarding casualty numbers and the scale of the tragedy have arisen. The government reported 29 deaths and over 100 injuries, while military sources estimated the toll to be 31. The discrepancies have led to speculation on social media of a potential cover-up, claims that the Bangladesh Armed Forces denied. Reportedly, five victims remain missing, and the pain of loss continues to ripple through the community.
School staff and survivors, including Ahnaf, struggle with the trauma. "I haven't slept for two days," he confessed, explaining that every sound sends him into a panic thinking another crash is imminent. The reality of living so close to the active flight path of Dhaka's airport now feels like a nightmare that many will not soon forget. “When I close my eyes, it’s not darkness I see - it’s smoke,” Ahnaf vulnerably expressed, encapsulating the deep scars left by that tragic day.
