08/16/2021 7:59 AM
Clarín.com
World
Updated 08/16/2021 8:13 AM
Thousands of people desperate to leave Afghanistan unleashed chaos at Kabul airport, trying to board repatriation flights on the first day of the country under the control of the Taliban, where it was also reported that at least three deaths could be registered in shootings.
The tide of people began to arrive from Sunday night at Hamid Karzai International Airport, in the Afghan capital, with
many of them without even travel documents or visas
, leaving distressing images, after the Taliban entered the city culminating his final victory after two decades of war.
Most are ordinary people who approached the airport on the idea that the United States, which is evacuating its personnel in the country, will help the Afghans.
At the moment, neither the Afghan security forces nor the Taliban fighters have assumed the security of the airport.
The mob has already beaten dozens of people
, including boys, who throw themselves over each other to reach the runway, where some planes remain scheduled for a limited evacuation of foreigners.
At this time, all
flights from Hamid Karzai International Airport are temporarily suspended
, the Afghan Civil Aviation Authority reported in a statement.
"Stay away from the airport until flights resume," he added.
The images disseminated on social networks show hundreds of people pushing and
climbing on others to get on a plane
, and in others shots are even heard in the vicinity.
Video on social media shows people falling to their deaths from an aircraft that had been taken off from Kabul airport, presumably having attached themselves from the outside.
pic.twitter.com/9KHeiuawXj
- TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 16, 2021
In a video broadcast by the local channel Tolo on Twitter,
three bodies
are seen
on the ground
, and the message that they are "allegedly victims of shooting at Kabul International Airport this morning", without further confirmation, although it is also speculated that they could die in a stampede.
On Monday morning, the US State Department announced that it had "completed" the process to transport the approximately
4,000 employees
of its embassy in Kabul
to the airport
.
Likewise, the US embassy reiterated its alert for people waiting to be repatriated, so that they do not approach the airport due to the fragile security of the area, and that they
remain sheltered
in their places until further notice.
The State Department said in a statement that it is working to secure the Hamid Karzai International Airport and allow the safe exit of US personnel and their allies through civilian and military flights.
Video: Afghans crowded #Kabul airport Sunday night hoping to board international flights.
#Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/NXHxog0AAQ
- TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 16, 2021
"During the next 48 hours, we will have expanded our security presence to almost 6,000 soldiers, with a mission focused solely on facilitating these efforts and assuming control of air traffic," he reported.
A group of 70 countries from all continents, including Spain, France and Germany, urged on Monday "those who hold positions of authority throughout Afghanistan" to allow the country's citizens and internationals to leave the Asian country.
With information from EFE
AFG
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