The death toll from the Bangladesh Air Force jet crash has risen to 27, with twenty-five of the victims being students, as reported by authorities on Tuesday, July 22.

As per the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Armed Forces of the South Asian nation, the Air Force’s F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06 pm (local time) on Monday and crashed into the Milestone School and College building in Uttara, Dhaka, around 1:30 pm.

During 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 latest casualty figures.

He also mentioned that at least 78 individuals are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals, with five in critical condition.

“Of the deceased, 25 are children, many of whom are under 12 years old, suffering from severe burn injuries. The other two victims include the pilot of the aircraft and a female schoolteacher,” Rahman was quoted as saying by The Daily Star, a prominent Bangladeshi newspaper.

He further noted that the bodies of 20 individuals have been returned to their families.

The Bangladesh Air Force jet crash has resulted in a death toll of 27, with 170 injured. “We are making every effort to provide medical assistance. However, the condition of some patients remains extremely critical,” he added.

Rahman also indicated that six of the deceased have not yet been identified, and DNA samples have been collected.

“Most of the injured are children, and their blood needs are relatively low. Additionally, the ICU at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) is prepared,” Rahman stated further.

A total of 171 individuals were reported injured following this tragic event, according to the ISPR on Monday.

Members of the Bangladesh Army, along with eight fire engines from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, quickly arrived at the scene and initiated rescue operations after the jet crashed into the two-story building of Milestone School and College, as detailed in a fire service notification on Monday.

“On the first level of this two-story structure, classes were held for third and fourth graders. The second level accommodated classes for second and fifth graders,” brigadier general Mohammad Zahed Kamal, the director general of fire service and civil defence, was quoted as stating by the country’s prominent Bengali newspaper, Prothom Alo.

“Adjacent to it was a meeting room for the principal’s office. A coaching class was currently taking place,” he further mentioned.