Dhaka, July 22
The death toll in the Bangladesh Air Force jet crash climbed to 27, twenty-five of the deceased being students, authorities announced on Tuesday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media division of the South Asia nation's Armed Forces, the Air Force's F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06 p.m. (local time) on Monday and crashed into the Milestone School and College building in Dhaka's Uttara around 1.30 p.m.
Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday morning, Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief advisor at the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka, confirmed the update on the casualties.
He further stated that at least 78 people are receiving treatment at different hospitals, and five are in critical condition.
"Among the deceased, 25 are children -- many under the age of 12 -- with extensive burn injuries. The other two victims include the aircraft's pilot and a female schoolteacher," the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star, quoted Rahman as saying.
He added that the bodies of 20 people have been handed over to their relatives.
"We are continuing all possible efforts to provide medical care. However, the condition of some patients remains extremely critical," he added.