Dhaka plane crash

Plane crashes into school in Dhaka – at least 19 dead

A plane crashed into a school building in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka during classes on Monday. At least 19 people are dead and at least 50 people are being treated in hospitals, many with burns, writes Reuters.

Video clips show clouds of smoke rising from the school and people running around in panic.

“I was terrified when I saw the clips. Oh my God! It’s my school,” says 16-year-old student Rafiqa Taha, who was not at school when the plane crashed, in an interview with the AP.

It is said to be a fighter jet. The circumstances of the crash are unclear. The Bangladeshi government promises to investigate the incident thoroughly.

Desperate parents cry out for their children: “Please help”

500 meters from the crash site in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, terrified parents stand in tears behind the barriers. They are in limbo after a plane crashed into their children’s school, reports the local newspaper Daily Star.

– Where is my daughter? They are not letting anyone in. Please help me find my daughter! I want my daughter back, exclaims Parul, whose daughter has not returned home after the school day.

The newspaper has interviewed both eyewitnesses and survivors. From his hospital bed, a teacher says that the crash happened just as the school day had ended and the students were on their way home.

– It happened without warning. Before we even had time to realize what was happening, everything was in flames. Visibility disappeared immediately. All I saw was fire – and then just smoke.

At least 19 people are dead, but the death toll is expected to rise.