7 killed as people throng Kabul airport to flee Taliban rule in Afghanistan: Reports
Kabul(PTI): At least seven people, including three Afghan nationals who clung to a US Air Force plane to escape Taliban rule, died on Monday in a melee at the Kabul airport, as hundreds of people scrambled to board flights in a desperate bid to get out of Afghanistan, following the toppling of the government led by President Ashraf Ghani.
Taliban insurgents swept Kabul on Sunday after the US-backed Afghan government collapsed and President Ghani fled the country, bringing an unprecedented end to a two-decade campaign in which the US and its allies had tried to transform the war-ravaged nation.
Three Afghan nationals fell to death from the sky as they failed in their bid to flee the Taliban rule in Afghanistan by clinging to a US Air Force plane, according to video clips posted by a local news agency.
Exclusive- A clear video of men falling from C-17. They were clinging to some parts of the plane that took off from Kabul airport today, the Afghan Asvaka News agency tweeted, posting the clip of the gory incident.
In another tweet, it said the bodies of three men clinging to the wheels of the plane that took off from Kabul airport fell to the ground near Khairkahana area of Kabul.
Videos aired by TV channels and circulated in social media also showed humongous crowds of people at the entrance of the Kabul airport and also inside the airport on attempting to board aircraft in chaotic scenes late Sunday and Monday morning.
Quoting senior US military officials, American news agency Associated Press reported that the chaos left seven dead, including several who fell from the flight.
Though the officials did not divulge further specific details about the deaths, they said that thousands of Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of Kabul's international airport on Monday, so desperate to escape the Taliban capture of their country that they held onto an American military jet as it took off and plunged to death in chaos that killed at least seven people.
According to TOLOnews, some people were killed and wounded by gunfire in the Kabul international airport as hundreds of people crowded the airport to board flights.
Kabul airport was overwhelmed on Sunday night with over 2,000 people hoping to board commercial flights leaving the country, it said.
Quoting sources, the TOLOnews report said some people were killed and wounded by gunfire at the airport on Monday morning as crowds continue to grow.
However, no further detail was available on the gunfire incident.
Meanwhile, all commercial flights have been suspended at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.
The statement also urged the public to not crowd the airport.
Three Kabul residents who were trying to leave the country by hiding next to the tire or wing of an American plane, fell on the rooftop of local people. They lost their lives due to the terrible conditions in Kabul. pic.twitter.com/Cj7xXE4vbx
— Tariq Majidi (@TariqMajidi) August 16, 2021
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
