January 22, 2026
World
World
TOKYO, Jan 22 — Japan has halted the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant just hours after it began, though the reactor remains “stable,” the operator said.
DHAKA, July 22 — At least 19 people were killed and 164 others injured when a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a school and college campus in Dhaka on Monday, following a reported technical malfunction shortly after take-off, a military spokesperson confirmed.
The F-7 BGI aircraft had departed from the Bangladesh Air Force base in Kurmitola at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) on a routine training mission when it experienced a mechanical failure, said Lieutenant Colonel Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury.
“The pilot made a valiant effort to steer the aircraft away from densely populated areas. Despite his efforts, it ultimately crashed into a two-storey building belonging to Milestone School and College,” he said.
The pilot was among those killed in the incident. The military has since established an investigation committee to determine the cause of the crash.
According to Jane’s Information Group, the F-7 BGI is the most advanced variant of China’s Chengdu J-7/F-7 series, which is a licensed version of the Soviet MiG-21. Bangladesh had acquired 16 of the jets in a 2011 deal, with deliveries completed by 2013.
Scenes of chaos and fire at the crash site
Footage from the scene showed thick plumes of smoke rising into the air as a fire burned near a lawn, while shocked crowds looked on. Firefighters worked to douse the flames and cool the wreckage, which had torn through the side of a building, leaving twisted iron grills and a large hole, as seen in Reuters video coverage.
“A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others — aged 12, 14, and 40 — were admitted with injuries,” said Dr. Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where several victims were treated.
Distressing images captured people screaming and crying as others tried to console them.
Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school, recounted the horrifying moment: “I was at the gate picking up my kids when I heard an explosion. I looked back and saw nothing but fire and smoke.”
The tragedy follows just over a month after a deadly Air India crash in Ahmedabad, India, where a plane slammed into a medical college hostel, killing 241 of 242 people onboard and 19 on the ground — the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade. — Reuters
