Milestone cries
Staff Reporter :
A teacher who survived the devastating fire following the crash of an Air Force fighter jet at Milestone School and College in Diabari, Dhaka, described the incident as sudden and overwhelming, leaving no time for reaction.
“The incident was so sudden that no one had a chance to respond,” the teacher said.
“Students in the building where the jet crashed were lining up to leave their classes after the bell had rung. It was break time, and many were waiting at the gate.
Before anyone could realise what was happening, the fire spread rapidly. Visibility dropped immediately-first, there was fire, then thick smoke.”
The teacher detailed his injuries, adding, “My hands were burned, and I struggled to breathe.
My face and ears were also burned.” He continued, “There was no warning. The flames and smoke surrounded us before we could understand the danger.
As soon as I saw a flash, I knew something was wrong, but by then, it was too late. Many students and staff were trapped inside the smoke.”
Akbar Hossain, a security guard at the college, who was about 50 yards from the crash site, also recounted the events to the media.
He noted that classes for students from grades 5 to 8 had just finished, and pupils were leaving the building. Suddenly, a loud noise was heard as the aircraft struck a coconut tree in front of the three-storey school building before crashing into it, causing an immediate fire.
He added that the ground floor of the building hit by the plane is actually below ground level and not used for classes, but the aircraft entered that area on impact.
One eyewitness, Parul, broke down while calling out for her missing daughter, Nusrat Akhter, a third-grade student who has not been accounted for since the accident. “Our home is in Diabari,” she said emotionally.
“My daughter left for school around 8:00am. Her classes end at 1:00pm, but she usually stays until 3:30pm for coaching.”
Another parent, Akhi, mother of 11-year-old Arian, a Class Four student, described her son’s injuries.
“His whole body is burned,” she said tearfully. “He had been unwell for a few days, so I hadn’t allowed him to attend school, but today he went. His hair has also been burnt off.”
Fahim Hossain, an eleventh-grade student at Milestone College, witnessed the crash and described the terrifying moment.
“The jet crashed right before my eyes-just 10 feet away,” he told reporters. “It hit the ground floor of the two-storey building at around 1:15pm, where primary section classes were in session.”
The accounts of survivors and witnesses reveal the suddenness and severity of the tragedy that has deeply affected the school community and wider public.