640 Refugees Cram Onto Us Aircraft Fleeing Taliban Controlled Kabul
- Terrified refugees forced their way onto a US C-17 cargo plane that was preparing to take off from Hamid Karzai International Airport
- 640 refugees climbed onto the plane through a half-open ramp, soldiers were powerless to stop the flood of people
- The Taliban have not taken the airport which has been a lifeline for US and UK forces and foreign nationals fleeing the country
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!
A US military aircraft took off from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul loaded with 640 desperate refugees fleeing Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover.
The aircraft crew had not wanted to load the plane full of people but they were unable to stop them from forcing their way onboard through a ramp that had not fully closed according to TimesLIVE.
Source: Twitter
The BBC reported that the airport was a scene of pure chaos as thousands of people tried to flee the country in the wake of the US and UK forces leaving. The Taliban had taken back control of the country in a lightning-quick offensive that stunned the world.
The aircraft in question is a C-17 which can carry 77 tonnes of cargo or 102 to 134 soldiers. The 640 passengers pushed the aircraft to its limits.
Enjoy reading our stories? Download the BRIEFLY NEWS app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!
The Taliban have not moved to take the airport, apparently a gesture of goodwill to allow foreign nationals and US forces to leave.
Political upheaval: Taliban takes control of presidential palace in Afghanistan
Emerging reports indicate that the Islamic group, the Taliban, has taken control of the presidential palace in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
According to Aljazeera, top Taliban official, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who heads the group’s political bureau, said the next step is to begin governing. The publication stated that it obtained exclusive footage of Taliban leaders addressing the media from the palace on Sunday, August 15.
Contact has been made with South Africans in Afghanistan says International Relations Department
JOHANNESBURG - South African authorities say that contact has been made with South African citizens that are currently in Afghanistan in the wake of the takeover by the Taliban on Sunday.
The Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) has been in communication with the South African High Commission in Pakistan and indicated that plans to return South Africans home were in motion, according to TimesLIVE.
Source: Briefly News
