(under update)
A day after the Taliban seized control of the Afghan capital, thousands of people continue to flock to Kabul International Airport to board a plane to get them out of the country. There are reports quoted by Reuters of at least five dead, but it is not yet confirmed how they died: either from the shooting or the stampede.
Several videos began circulating on Monday morning showing the desperation of many Afghans at the airport to get out of the city. In one of the videos, dozens of people desperately try to get into the plane’s entry cover. This is perhaps one of the saddest pictures I have ever seen in Afghanistan. Desperate and abandoned people. There are no auxiliary agencies [humanitária]No to the United Nations, no to the government. Nothing,” writes Nicolas Karim, BBC South Asia journalist.
This is probably one of the saddest pictures I’ve ever seen # Afghanistan. Desperate and deserted people. No aid agencies, no UN, no government. nothing. pic.twitter.com/LCeDEOR3lR
— Nicola Careem (@NicolaCareem) August 16, 2021
The desperate situation unfolds in #Acceptance Airport this morning. pic.twitter.com/JlAWtTHPBy
– Ahmer Khan (@ahmermkhan) August 16, 2021
Other reports, citing various international media such as Agence France-Presse, revealed that US forces fired in the air after several people tried to enter the airport runway. In fact, the footage was audible in another video, which shows dozens of people running to the airport with bags and luggage. There are even reports that US flights with diplomats are being prioritized abroad, fueling further rebellion and chaos at the airport.
Another day begins in Kabul, a sea of people rushing into the Kabul airport building. #AFG pic.twitter.com/UekpGJ2MWd
– Jawad Sukhanyar August 16, 2021
airport in #Acceptance… Listen .. # Kabul # Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/0hsDWNqOFS
– Natalie Amiri August 16, 2021
# Afghanistan: Total chaos and helplessness at Kabul airport this morning (August 16).pic.twitter.com/16nHRO0RCY
– Ahmer Khan (@ahmermkhan) August 16, 2021
On Monday, the US military took over air traffic control at the airport “to allow the safe departure of US personnel and their allies in Afghanistan on civilian and military flights.” But the situation remains difficult, with US forces failing to maintain order at the capital’s airport. Stephen Dzidzic of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation describes a “chaotic and frightening scene”, based on the accounts of two Australians at the scene.
I spoke with two Australians at Kabul airport. Chaotic and scary scene. Someone says that the US military struggled to maintain order – there is the sound of gunfire, but the source is not clear. He says he is constantly trying to contact the Australian government but has not received any response
– Stephen Dziedzic (@stephendziedzic) August 16, 2021
US Embassy services in the Afghan capital are urging people not to travel to Kabul airport unless they are given explicit orders to do so.
“We remind all American and Afghan citizens that the situation in Kabul remains unsafe. Please do not travel to the airport until you have been notified,” the embassy asks.
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