Hundreds of Afghan civilians managed to get a spot on a US Air Force cargo plane that was departing Afghanistan for Qatar on Sunday, some of them jumping onto the aircraft’s half open ramp as they sought to flee the Taliban who are now in near-total control of the country.
Those who managed to get on the flight were captured in a photograph, looking numb, expressionless and fatigued. They were however the lucky ones of thousands of Afghan citizens who ran out onto the tarmac of Kabul’s airport since Sunday, amid the chaos there were some who died trying to catch flights.
The photograph shows the despair felt by thousands of locals who are concerned that there will be backlash against those who worked for the former government or with US officials. There are also fears that the Taliban will reintroduce restrictions on women’s rights to be educated, hold jobs or leave their homes without a male relative escorting them.
The cargo plane on which these people escaped can hold up to 164 900 pounds and there were more than 600 people onboard. According to two defense officials, “Instead of trying to force those refugees off the aircraft, the crew made the decision to go.”
Human remains were also found in the wheel well of another US Air Force plane after the crew declared an emergency when their landing gear would not go up. The plane diverted to another location and landed which led to the remains being discovered.
The US military closed the airport on Monday after the incident of people appearing to fall to their death from a plane as they struggled to deal with the thousands of Afghans seeking flights to flee. At least seven people died in the chaos according to reports.
According to Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor, a senior official at the Pentagon, US troops reopened the runway just before midnight in Kabul.
Source: MSN
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