The campus of Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Uttara fell silent in horror as a child’s anguished cry — “Save me, I am on fire!” — pierced the air after Monday’s deadly crash.
Sajjad Sadi, a grade 10 student at the institution, took part in the rescue operation. He recounted the harrowing moments to Dhaka Tribune, standing near the school field where he had witnessed the unfolding tragedy.
“Children were crying and screaming, 'Save me, my body is burning!' Some were begging to be taken to the hospital,” said Sadi.
“Many had flames on their bodies and others were bleeding. Some walked out, burnt and wounded, searching for their guardians. I saw flesh melting off bodies. They were being wrapped in cloth and placed in ambulances. Some were lying unconscious,” he added.
According to Sadi, around 300 to 350 students and at least 16 teachers were inside the building at the time of the incident.
One part of the school was gutted by fire while the rest was engulfed in thick black smoke.
Several support staff on the ground floor were also injured.
“I was standing on the field, just about two yards from the building, when the aircraft struck. It was 10 minutes before the primary school classes were due to be dismissed,” Sadi said.
“I saw six students and two teachers make it out safely. But I also saw 16 bodies being brought out before my eyes.”
“One body was so badly charred that it was impossible to tell whether it belonged to a boy or a girl,” he added.
Sadi also reflected on the trauma he had witnessed firsthand. “Today I realized the depth of human suffering in death, and how desperately people want to survive.”
On the ground, the situation turned sombre moments after the incident. Thousands gathered outside the school.
Panicked guardians rushed to the scene, searching for their children — some finding them alive, others rushing between hospitals in anguish and uncertainty.
From outside, it was nearly impossible to distinguish which vehicles were carrying the injured and which were transporting dead bodies.
Volunteers involved in the rescue said the scene was one of devastation — flames, smoke, and cries filling the air. Yet, their rescue efforts continued relentlessly.
Outside the school, announcements were made through megaphones requesting blood donors to come forward.
In response, many people travelled to hospitals in government vehicles to donate blood.
