A team of medical experts from China arrived at the National Burn Institute in Dhaka on Friday at 9 am to assist with the treatment of victims injured in a recent plane crash. The team will work in coordination with medical professionals from Singapore and India, providing advice and support as they evaluate the victims’ conditions. A detailed briefing on the situation is expected following consultations.
Security around the hospital has been heightened, with the army, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and air force ensuring tight surveillance at the premises. The Burn Institute has confirmed that there is no immediate need for blood or skin donations at this stage. Additionally, the government has assured that all medical expenses for the victims will be covered.
The Chinese medical team arrived in Dhaka the previous night, and was greeted at the airport by Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen and Syeda Jesmin Sultana Milki, the head of the Global Health Emergency Response Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The embassy has confirmed that the medical professionals are from the Third Hospital of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
The incident occurred on Monday when a Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crashed into the Milestone School and College in Uttara’s Diabari area. The fire that erupted from the crash site caused severe burns, leading to the tragic deaths of 31 individuals, the majority of whom were
children.
Air accident expert preferring anonymity shared with TIMES that Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) fighter jet involved in the tragic crash at Milestone school campus was originally a MiG-21, a Soviet-era aircraft that has been in service with the BAF for several decades.
However, it was later upgraded to a Chengdu aircraft, a Chinese-made variant, as part of the BAF’s modernization efforts.
The jet had undergone multiple refurbishments over the years, including engine and avionics updates, to enhance its operational capability. Despite these upgrades, the MiG-21 and its variants are often criticized for their age and maintenance challenges, raising concerns about the reliability of older aircraft in active service.