7 dead in chaos at Afghanistan airport
SENIOR US military officials say the chaos at the Kabul airport yesterday morning left seven people dead, including some who fell from a departing US military transport jet.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of the capital’s airport on Monday as thousands tried to flee the country after the Taliban seized power with stunning speed.
Some clung to the side of a US military plane before takeoff, in a widely shared video that captured the sense of desperation as America’s 20-year war comes to a chaotic end.
Another video showed the Afghans falling as the plane gained altitude over Kabul.
Meanwhile, the country’s representative has told the United Nations Security Council that the fate of the Afghan people “hangs in the balance”.
Speaking at an emergency meeting yesterday, Ghulam M Isaczai said: “Today I’m speaking on behalf of millions of people in Afghanistan, whose fate hangs in the balance and are faced with an extremely uncertain future.
“I’m speaking for millions of Afghan girls and women who are about to lose their freedom to go to school, to work, and to participate in the political, economic, and social life of the country.
“I’m speaking for thousands of human rights defenders, journalists, academics, civil servants and former security personnel whose lives are at risk for defending human rights and democracy.
“I’m speaking for thousands of internally displaced people who are desperately in need of shelter, food and protection in Kabul and other places.”
He said: “We’re extremely concerned about Taliban’s not honouring the promises and commitments made in their statements at Doha, and other international fora.
“We’ve witnessed time and again how Taliban have broken their promises and commitments in the past. We have seen gruesome images of Taliban mass executions of military personnel and target killings of civilians in Kandahar and other big cities.
“We cannot allow this to happen in Kabul, which has been the last refuge for many people escaping violence and Taliban’s revenge attacks.”
Mr Isaczai called on the UN to put pressure on the Taliban “to prevent further violence, prevent Afghanistan descending into a civil war and becoming a pariah state”.
He added: “Kabul residents are living in absolute fear right now.”