Flight Lieutenant Towkir, the pilot of the Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft that crashed in Dhaka’s Uttara area, has succumbed to injuries, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Monday (July 21).

The incident happened on the campus of Milestone School and College in the Diabari area of Uttara, has so far claimed 19 lives, according to the ISPR.

Towkir’s friend and activist Saeed Abdullah wrote in a Facebook post that the pilot was still alive when he was being taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) after the crash. “After nearly an hour of trying, everything ended forever,” he wrote.

The F-7 BGI training aircraft went down at approximately 1:18pm, triggering panic among students and local residents. Rescue operations were carried out by the Fire Service with support from the military and other agencies. Eight fire units and two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) participated in the rescue.

Authorities have not yet released the names of all the victims. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the crash. The government has declared Tuesday (July 22) a national day of mourning.

MSK/