US officials say 7 killed in Kabul airport evacuation chaos
AP
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Afghan people climb atop a plane as they wait at the Kabul airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021. (Photo: AFP)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Senior U.S. military officials say the chaos at the Kabul airport this morning left seven people dead, including some who fell from a departing American military transport jet.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss ongoing operations.

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 U.S. 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.