At least 19 dead after air force jet crashes into Bangladesh school

At least 19 people have died and 164 were injured after a Bangladeshi air force training jet crashed into a school campus in the capital, Dhaka.

Footage from the scene at Milestone School and College in the northern suburb of Uttara shows a huge fire and a thick plume of smoke, after the aircraft slammed into a two-storey school building.

The armed forces said in a statement on Facebook that the F-7 jet, experienced a mechanical fault after taking off for a training exercise just after 13:00 local time. The pilot was among those killed, the air force added.

More than 50 people, including children and adults, were taken to hospital with burns, a doctor at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery told reporters.

The age range for students attending the school is between four and 18 years old.

A teacher at the college, Rezaul Islam, told BBC Bangla that he saw the plane "directly" hit the building.

Another teacher, Masud Tarik, told Reuters that he heard an explosion: "When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke... There were many guardians and kids here."

A student said he saw the plane hit the building "right in front of my eyes".

The country's fire service said on social media it had nine units at the scene, along with six ambulances.

Images from the scene show scores of emergency service workers sorting through charred rubble to try and find survivors.

In one photo, fire fighters are carrying a body away from the building.

Members of the public can be also seen standing on top of surrounding buildings, watching on.

Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladesh's interim government, said "necessary measures" would be taken to investigate the cause of the incident and "ensure all kinds of assistance".

"This is a moment of deep sorrow for the nation. I wish the injured a speedy recovery and instruct all authorities, including the hospitals concerned, to deal with the situation with utmost importance," he said in a post on X.

Bangladesh has announced a day of mourning on Tuesday, when the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the country.