After the classes were over for the day, 13-year-old Nawaf Ullah was waiting with his father, Mohammad Ullah, for his closest friend, Abdullah Shamim.
Suddenly, he saw a small aircraft crash into their classroom, "Platinum". Within moments, the area was engulfed in flames.
Nawaf was describing the harrowing experience of Monday, July 21.
"I was shocked," he said. "I couldn't fathom what was happening—only that something terrible had occurred. A while later, my best friend Shamim came out. His clothes were completely burned. He was scurrying to and fro, but no one came to hold him. That night, I heard he had passed away. Then I thought, had I not skipped detention yesterday, I could've died with my friend."
On Tuesday, Nawaf joined a protest at Milestone College in Uttara with his elder brother, where a Dhaka Stream reporter spoke with the class six student.
Recalling the incident, Nawaf said he had been assigned detention that day as well. But he managed to avoid it by persuading the classmate responsible for the detention list. He had tried to convince Shamim to skip it as well, but Shamim chose not to.
"I looked over the top of the English (three-storey) building and saw something flying toward us," Nawaf said. "It spun around and struck the front of the building. Then there was a swirl of fire and smoke!"
Shamim, Nawaf's friend, was critically injured in the plane crash. According to Dhaka Medical College sources, he suffered burns 90% of his body suffered burns.
Around 11:00pm, doctors at the burn unit declared him dead.
Updates from local hospitals in Uttara
At Uttara Adhunik Hospital, 13-year-old Afifa, a student of class eight from Milestone College, is admitted in cabin 1003 of the pediatric ward. Her left arm was burned in the fire. Attending doctors said her condition is improving, and the burns are not life-threatening.
Bazlur Rahman Adil, deputy director of Uttara Adhunik Medical College, said, "We sent the severely injured patients to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery and Dhaka Medical College under our supervision. All our doctors were present in the emergency ward to provide initial treatment."
Hospital authorities reported that 27 injured individuals have been discharged after receiving treatment. Although over 100 were brought in for care, only 60 were formally registered. Among them, at least 30 were critically injured and referred to the burn institute.
Meanwhile, Lubana General Hospital, a private facility in Uttara, said that most of the incoming patients had burns on 60–70% of their bodies. A total of 28 patients sought treatment; due to the severity of injuries, 15 were referred to other hospitals, and only one was admitted.
Another facility nearby, Uttara Crescent Hospital, reported treating 12 patients. Eight received first aid and were discharged, while four were sent elsewhere for advanced care.
Md Noyon, the hospital's customer relations officer, said most patients had minor burns and were suffering from respiratory issues due to smoke inhalation.
At Kuwait Maitree Hospital, emergency room nurse Seema Roy said, "We couldn't even find veins to administer saline. The small children were writhing in pain from their burns."
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