Thousands have been trying to flee the country on flights out of Kabul.
A shocking new photo from the evacuation of Kabul shows how nearly 650 Afghans were crammed on one US Air Force plane out of city.
The image shows hundreds of passengers crammed into the huge cargo jet. It is thought that approximately 640 passengers were aboard the C-17 Globemaster II jet, far more than the aircraft was allowed to carry.
The image was obtained by military news site Defense One, with a defence official telling the site: “The crew made the decision to go.
“Approximately 640 Afghan civilians disembarked the aircraft when it arrived at its destination.”
"The Crew Made the Decision to Go:" Inside Reach 871, A US C-17 Packed With 640 Afghans Trying to Escape the Taliban | @TaraCopp and @MarcusReports https://t.co/lf3LajxzzX pic.twitter.com/6wg82LtfRc
— Defense One (@DefenseOne) August 16, 2021
Journalist Alex Macheras shared footage of people trying to board the plane on Twitter.
This footage from Kabul airport — Afghans desperately trying to board a C-17 airlifter from the Gulf. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/c8s5ZsB3cs
— Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) August 15, 2021
A clip of the air traffic radio captures the moment an official was told about how many people were aboard the flight
An official says: “OK, how many people do you think are on your jet? … 800 people on your jet? … Holy f***, holy cow…”
Exact recording found here https://t.co/aPsylMRhS3
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 15, 2021
On Monday, there were chaotic scenes at Kabul’s main airport as thousands tried to secure a way out of the city following the Taliban’s takeover of the capital. This completed a rapid advance throughout the country from the extreme Islamist group.
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At least seven people were killed at the airport, including two armed men who were shot by US troops. American forces have taken over control of the airport to aid the evacuation.
On Monday evening, US President Joe Biden admitted that the Taliban takeover unfolded “more quickly than we had anticipated,” but defended his decision to end the US presence in Afghanistan, saying that he “stands squarely behind” the decision.
