"When I found him, his condition was so serious. His little body was totally burned and he could not breathe properly. He took his last breath in front of my eyes."
This was Rescuer Ramjan Ali Seikh speaking about the last moments of Junayet Hasan, 8, after the deadly crash of an air force at Milestone School and College on Monday afternoon.
Junayet, son of Aslam Hasan, a resident of Nayanagar, Uttara, was a student of grade three (Bangla medium) at the school.
Ramjan said: “I found him at Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Govt Hospital. Someone had rescued him from the accident spot. His condition was getting worse, and the doctor immediately referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
“But his parents were not present. Then I took him into an ambulance. But he died before reaching Dhaka Medical College Hospital."
He continued: “After his death, Junayet's parents arrived, took his body and left. But the pain of his last moments is still weighing on my chest. I have seen so many deaths, but today, this death will stay with me forever.”
Most victims were children
The plane crashed into a building called Milestone School Project 2 of Milestone School and College in Uttara.
The two-storey building had 16 classrooms and four teachers' rooms.
Classes from first to fifth grades used to be held in the building.
In addition, students of seventh and eighth grades had coaching classes in the same building.
They were entering the building at the time of the incident.
At that moment, the plane crashed between the third and fourth grade classrooms. As a result, most of the casualties in this accident were children.
After checking with several hospitals, including the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Govt Hospital, and Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka Tribune learned that 20 people have been reported dead in the plane crash so far.
Among them, 12 children were reportedly found dead at the CMH, including Anika, 10, Humaira, 10, and Saad, 8.
Additionally, there were Junayet, 8, at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and Tanvir, 12, at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
Besides, some 50 children are undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
Among the identified are Shamim Yusuf, 14, Mahin, 15, Abid, 17, Rafi Barua, 21, Sayem, 12, Sayem Yusuf, 14, Muntaha, 11, Nafi, 10, Mehreen, 12, Ayman, 10, Zaena, 13, Emon, 17, Rohan, 14, Abid, 9, Ashraf, 37, Yousha, 11, Payel, 12, Albera, 10, Tasmia, 15, Mahiya, 13, Ayan, 14, Fayaz, 14, Masuma, 38, Mahata, 14, Shamim, 17, Zakir, 55, Niloy, 14, Samia, 14, Aryan, 12, Toufiq, 13, Nusrat, 13, Tanvir Ahmed, 13, Rayyan, 14, and Zarif, 12.
Dr Shawon Bin Rahman, a resident doctor at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, told the media: "Most of those undergoing treatment for burns in the plane crash are children. Some of them have burns over 50% of their bodies. We are trying our best to provide treatment."