7 Afghans dead amid chaotic situation in Kabul airport
London/Rome, Aug 22 (EFE).- Seven Afghan civilians have died amid the chaotic situation at Kabul airport, where thousands of people are trying to access the terminal to flee the country after the Taliban took over the country, the British Defense Ministry reported on Sunday.
“Our sincere thoughts are with the families of the seven Afghan civilians who have sadly died in crowds in Kabul,” a defense ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
“Conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible”.
Thousands of Afghans from across the country have been camped outside the gates of the Kabul airport for days in the hope of fleeing the Taliban Islamist militia after they captured the country and its capital after President Ashraf Ghani secretly left the country on Aug.15.
Most of the countries are in a rush to evacuate its citizens, including its staff in diplomatic missions, from Afghanistan.
UK’s Ambassador Laurie Bristow has moved his mission to an emergency center at the airport to personally supervise the visas.
Indonesia has temporarily shifted the operations of its Kabul embassy to Islamabad.
More than 200 Afghan civilians arrived early Sunday at Rome’s Fiumicino airport aboard a military plane from Kabul, taking the total number of evacuees in Italy to more than 1,300.
Most of these Afghan civilians are former collaborators of the Italian armed forces in Afghanistan.
According to the Italian Defense Ministry, 2,047 people, including 1,988 Afghans, have been rescued by its armed forces in Afghanistan since the arrival of the Taliban.
Of these, 1,394 have already arrived in Italy, while the rest are at Kabul airport waiting to be evacuated. EFE
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