Chaotic scenes in Kabul as thousands seek to flee Taliban
Thousands of Afghans are desperately attempting to leave the country from Kabul’s international airport, where several people reportedly died after falling from a plane as it took off.
Chaos at Kabul airport
Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021. Thousands of people thronged to the airport trying to leave the country after the Taliban seized power with stunning speed.
A view from above
This satellite photo from Planet Labs, Inc., shows swarms of people on the tarmac at Kabul International Airport on August 16, 2021. Thousands packed into the Afghan capital's airport, crowding runways in desperate hopes of somehow getting onto a plane.
US soldiers stand guard
US soldiers repeatedly fired warning shots while trying to restrain crowds. An estimated 3,500 US troops are currently on the ground in Afghanistan, with more on the way.
French military begins evacuation
French and Afghan nationals line up to board a French military transport plane at Kabul airport on August 17, 2021. The first French military aircraft arrived in Abu Dhabi during the night, according to France’s defense minister.
Desperate to escape
Images of thousands of Afghans swarming around a US military transport plane as it taxied down the runway on Monday, August 16, quickly circulated around the world.
Scenes of panic
US Apache helicopters had tried to clear the runway of civilians by making low-altitude flyovers. Still, many clung to the side of a US Air Force C-17 airplane, some were reportedly killed when they fell from the aircraft.
Evacuees crowd US Air Force C-17 aircraft
This US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft took off with approximately 640 Afghans on board and flew them to Qatar from Kabul on August 15, 2021. Many people had clambered onto the plane through a half-open ramp.