National Afghan Youth Team Footballer 'Dies in Fall From Plane' at Kabul Airport
- Anwari was part of the group at the Hamid Karzai international airport who desperately wanted to leave the country
- Crowds have gathered at the airport since the Taliban took control of the Afghan capital
- Reports claim Zaki Anwari, 19, attempted to hold on to the outside of a military aircraft but fell to his death
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A 19-year-old Afghan player fell to his death after attempting to cling to a US plane airlifting the people of Kabul.
Anwari, a member of his country’s national youth team, attempted to hold on to the outside of the American military aircraft as it departed from Hamid Karzai international airport.
A harrowing video that has since been shared on social media appears to show two people falling to their deaths from a C-17 aircraft.
The Guardian further reports that an Afghan news agency since confirmed that one of the people who plunged to their demise was Anwari.
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Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) has since released a statement saying it was reviewing all information regarding the C-17 aircraft.
“In addition to online videos and press reports of people falling from the aircraft on departure, human remains were discovered in the wheel well of the C-17 after it landed at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar," the statement said.
Hamid Karzai international airport has been crowded by civilians over the past few days since the Taliban seized the Afghan capital.
Because of the tension, some people, including the late Anwari, opted to take their chances at the airport in the hopes of fleeing the country.
Mobin Muhammad, Anwari’s coach was in tears as he described the promising footballer as a person.
“He was a brilliant young player, a very good human,” he said as quoted by The Daily Beast.
One of Anwari’s latest posts on Facebook had the caption, “Football is my love”.
The harrowing state of Afghanistan
By Thursday, the Kabul airport was characterized by chaotic scenes as people who were eligible for evacuation were unable to reach their designated aircraft.
The situation got so desperate for some that some people were seen passing their babies to US soldiers with hopes they might escape the country.
There are also fears for the safety of those who worked for US and Nato forces or the previous Afghan government as a leaked report warned the Taliban were going from door to door threatening their family members.
Gerd Muller: Bayern Munich and Germany legend dies aged 75
In recent tragic news, Briefly News reported that Bayern Munich and Germany football legend Gerd Muller died aged 75 on Sunday, 15 August. Confirming the news in a statement on social media, Bayern said:
"Today the world of FC Bayern stands still. The German record champions and his entire fan base mourn Gerd Müller, who died early on Sunday morning at the age of 75."
Muller is widely regarded as one of the best strikers to grace football following his exploits in front of goal during his playing days.
Source: Briefly News
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
Tshepiso Mametela (Head of Current Affairs Desk) Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He is the current affairs Head of Desk at Briefly News. He was a news reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops, including the crime and court reporting one by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism in 2024. Email: tshepiso.mametela@briefly.co.za