Crushed to death in stampede: At least four women are killed in front of terrified children as thousands desperate to flee the Taliban descend on Kabul airport after discovering mercy flights could end in just 48 hours

 For thousands upon thousands, the litter-strewn road outside Kabul airport will be forever synonymous with dashed hopes of freedom.

But for once, the masses turned away were the lucky ones. Because for some, it was here on this dusty road yesterday that their lives ended, crushed beneath the feet of stampeding families who, like them, were desperately seeking a way out of their benighted country. 

At least four women are thought to have died in what witnesses called a ‘horrendous crush’. Each day brings ever more pitiful scenes in Afghanistan: men clinging to and falling from moving planes, mothers pressing their babies into the arms of soldiers. Yet nothing so unbearable as yesterday.

Beneath a fierce late-morning sun, crowds parted to reveal women’s lifeless bodies and then, rising above the chaotic hubbub, the piercing screams of their children. 

Precious few, if any, of the wretched souls who descended on the airport qualified for evacuation. But they were in a race against time, spurred into one futile final act by warnings from London and Washington that the clock was ticking, that the mercy flights out of Kabul would soon cease. 

Beneath a fierce late-morning sun, crowds parted to reveal women¿s lifeless bodies and then, rising above the chaotic hubbub, the piercing screams of their children

Beneath a fierce late-morning sun, crowds parted to reveal women’s lifeless bodies and then, rising above the chaotic hubbub, the piercing screams of their children

Paratroopers tried to pull people from the chaos, and stood atop compound walls, spraying the crowd with hoses to try and cool them down, as medics dashed between casualties

Paratroopers tried to pull people from the chaos, and stood atop compound walls, spraying the crowd with hoses to try and cool them down, as medics dashed between casualties

At least four women are thought to have died in what witnesses called a ¿horrendous crush¿. Pictured: Soldiers cover up the bodies of those who died yesterday

At least four women are thought to have died in what witnesses called a ‘horrendous crush’. Pictured: Soldiers cover up the bodies of those who died yesterday

For some, it was here on this dusty road yesterday that their lives ended, crushed beneath the feet of stampeding families who, like them, were desperately seeking a way out of their benighted country

For some, it was here on this dusty road yesterday that their lives ended, crushed beneath the feet of stampeding families who, like them, were desperately seeking a way out of their benighted country

A soldier gives one of the locals at the airport a bottle of water, as many struggled in chaotic scenes at the airport today

A soldier gives one of the locals at the airport a bottle of water, as many struggled in chaotic scenes at the airport today

Some Afghans had planned to try their luck today or tomorrow. Suddenly nobody was prepared to wait. The deadline brought their haphazard plans forward, triggering an overwhelming scramble.

Two shipping containers blocked the road alongside the airport, funnelling people into narrow gaps either side in a vain attempt to ensure some kind of order.

Instead, it produced only more chaos. Scarcely a minute passed without a cry for medical assistance or a hopeless plea for a stretcher. 

British Paratroopers did all that was humanly possible, pulling the most badly hurt to safety, cradling gasping children, administering first aid and dousing those collapsing with dehydration with water from a hose.

‘It was pretty impressive stuff,’ said Sky News reporter Stuart Ramsay at the scene. ‘They were yanking people out as soon as they could… that was on the British side, further up the road. On the American side, people were just penned in, they had been there all day with no shade whatsoever and a limited amount of water.’

Elsewhere at the airport, a Taliban militant hit an old man with his rifle butt to stop him pushing on a gate. Nearby women were beaten with sticks.

A man who gave his name as Abdullah told The Mail on Sunday: ‘All human rights and dignity have been buried here. No one behaves like human beings.

‘The foreigners have created this situation, they cannot manage this situation and this is their last attempt to humiliate us.’

It is thought about 3,500 British nationals and Afghan locals are awaiting evacuation. Latest reports show that 3,821 people have been airlifted out. In Kabul itself, food is running out and prices are rising fast.

Only a small number of British embassy staff remain in Kabul, led by ambassador Sir Laurie Bristow (pictured), who has won plaudits for staying to help process visas

Only a small number of British embassy staff remain in Kabul, led by ambassador Sir Laurie Bristow (pictured), who has won plaudits for staying to help process visas

Former Royal Marine Pen Farthing, who founded an animal welfare charity in Kabul, said: ‘I can’t draw out any money – the banks are running out.

'I can’t pay my staff salaries, nobody can buy food. This is just turning into a disaster upon a disaster. The humanitarian crisis here is getting out of control.’

He added: ‘I’m past angry, I’m past everything. I’m just completely numb at the incompetence of this operation.’

Gul Ali, 55, clutching a British passport, had camped outside the airport for six days. He has lived in Britain for six years, and only went back to Kabul to visit relatives. Now he is stranded.

He said: ‘I cannot get out. Nobody gives me permission. It’s like doomsday, what is going on? What are these security men doing, it’s an uncontrolled situation, it’s uncertain, the US and UK forces are unable to manage the situation.’

Joy and hope were scarce but an interpreter called Waheed, who had worked with British forces, was one of the few who made it through the airport. 

Waheed, with his wife and children, spoke of his relief that he was finally UK-bound, saying: ‘It’s a very happy day in my life.’

Describing the crush outside the airport, he added: ‘It was very scary… like a zombie land.’

Only a small number of British embassy staff remain in Kabul, led by ambassador Sir Laurie Bristow, who has won plaudits for staying to help process visas.

He said the evacuation effort was ‘without a doubt’ the greatest challenge of his 30-year career.

Speaking for the first time since the Taliban takeover, Sir Laurie said: ‘The scale of this effort is enormous. Lives are at stake and I am incredibly proud of the tenacious efforts of my team during these challenging times, with military and civilian staff working together to successfully evacuate thousands of people in the last week.

‘We will continue to work tirelessly to get British nationals, Afghan staff and others at risk out of the country as quickly as possible as we also support Afghanistan’s long-term future.’ 

His comments come as thousands of Afghans fear they could be left behind in Kabul as ministers push to extend the deadline for the last British evacuation flight beyond Tuesday. 

Efforts have been ramped up, however, with the Ministry of Defence today confirming that the UK repatriated 1000 people in the last 24 hours - the most in a single day so far.   

Meanwhile Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been plunged into a fresh row over his holiday after sources told the Mail on Sunday that he had refused an order by No.10 to return from the Mediterranean to deal with the Afghanistan crisis. 

The sources said Mr Raab had been told by a senior Downing Street official on Friday, August 13, that he should return to London immediately as the situation in Kabul deteriorated, and that there had been 'much gnashing of teeth' when he delayed his homecoming until the early hours of Monday morning.

The claim is strongly denied by friends of Mr Raab, who insist that he was assured by Boris Johnson that he could stay with his family until the end of the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Taliban are making progress in forming a government and ensuring security across the country, an official said today, adding that the Taliban are 'aiming to improve the situation and provide a smooth exit' at the airport over the weekend.


A soldier carries someone amid the chaos at Kabul airport in Afghanistan today, with thousands desperate to flee the country

A soldier carries someone amid the chaos at Kabul airport in Afghanistan today, with thousands desperate to flee the country

There were also scenes of people left injured and bloodied, sat amongst piles of papers and discarded clothes near the site, while others stood shoulder to shoulder, amid sounds of screams and gunshots

There were also scenes of people left injured and bloodied, sat amongst piles of papers and discarded clothes near the site, while others stood shoulder to shoulder, amid sounds of screams and gunshots

Shocking footage shows injured Afghans bleeding as they desperately try and make their way into the airport

Shocking footage shows injured Afghans bleeding as they desperately try and make their way into the airport

British soldiers desperately shouted for medics and stretchers, as unconscious people were carried away, many being pronounced dead and covered in white sheets

British soldiers desperately shouted for medics and stretchers, as unconscious people were carried away, many being pronounced dead and covered in white sheets

The mayhem followed more violence in the capital last night, with footage emerging of people in crowds being beaten with sticks

The mayhem followed more violence in the capital last night, with footage emerging of people in crowds being beaten with sticks

A U.S. Navy Corpsman with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command, hands out water to children during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport

A U.S. Navy Corpsman with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command, hands out water to children during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport

An evacuee holds up a peace sign after being manifested for a flight at Hamid Karzai International Airport

An evacuee holds up a peace sign after being manifested for a flight at Hamid Karzai International Airport

A U.S. Airman with the Joint Task Force-Crisis Response speaks with families who await processing during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport

A U.S. Airman with the Joint Task Force-Crisis Response speaks with families who await processing during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport


The UK is urging President Joe Biden to delay withdrawing US forces from the airport to help with the airlifting of as many as 6,000 British nationals and locals from the Taliban-controlled city.

Government sources stressed it was unlikely Britons would be left behind but said as many as 2,000 Afghan citizens could miss out.

So far 12,000 foreigners and Afghans working for embassies and international aid groups have been evacuated from Kabul while a number have died at the airport.

In a new security warning today, however, the US Embassy told citizens not to travel to the Kabul airport without 'individual instructions from a US government representative,' citing potential security threats outside its gates. 

And yet crowds remained outside its concrete barriers, clutching documents and sometimes stunned-looking children, blocked from flight by coils of razor wire. 

Footage has since emerged of pandemonium and violence outside the airport, with US officials reporting that Americans have been beaten by the Taliban as they've tried to reach safety. The White House earlier confirmed that three military helicopters were used to rescue 169 Americans who were trapped at a hotel near the airport.

It comes as Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar arrived in the Afghan capital today for talks with militant commanders, former government leaders and religious scholars.

Nato yesterday begged Mr Biden not to leave Kabul and urged the US troops to stay at the airport to get as many people out as possible.

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: 'The US has stated that the timeline ends on August 31, but several of our allies raised... the need to potentially extend that to be able to get more people out.'

Meanwhile, pressure continues to grow on Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab after new claims emerged accusing him of failing to engage with foreign counterparts on the Afghanistan situation until the Taliban had reached Kabul.

Witnesses told the Times that the Cabinet minister was swimming and using a paddleboard on the last day of his break, which was spent at a beach at a five-star hotel on the Greek island of Crete, as the crisis began to unfold.

Mr Raab was already in the firing line after it emerged he delegated a call about repatriating Afghan interpreters, while away on August 13, to a junior minister, a decision that resulted in the phone conversation with the Afghan foreign minister not taking place and possibly delaying taking them to safety.

And tonight he was plunged into a fresh row over his holiday after sources told the Mail on Sunday that he had refused an order by No.10 to return from the Mediterranean to deal with the Afghanistan crisis.

The sources said Mr Raab had been told by a senior Downing Street official on Friday 13th August that he should return to London immediately as the situation in Kabul deteriorated, and that there had been 'much gnashing of teeth' when he delayed his homecoming until the early hours of Monday morning.

Tonight Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was plunged into a fresh row over his holiday after sources told the Mail on Sunday that he had refused an order by No.10 to return from the Mediterranean to deal with the Afghanistan crisis

Tonight Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was plunged into a fresh row over his holiday after sources told the Mail on Sunday that he had refused an order by No.10 to return from the Mediterranean to deal with the Afghanistan crisis

The claim is strongly denied by friends of Mr Raab, who insist that he was assured by Boris Johnson that he could stay with his family until the end of the weekend.

A source said: 'There is no doubt that Raab was told to come back on that Friday. There was then a significant amount of surprise when he appeared on the Cobra on the Sunday down the line from Crete. He must have nobbled Boris and asked for permission to finish his holiday'.

Last night, Mr Raab told the Mail on Sunday that he had enjoyed a 'wave of support', and denied that there was pressure from within his party to resign.

Mr Raab said: 'I've not heard any of my Conservative colleagues call for me to resign, but I have had a wave of support. There is no doubt that, like all countries, there is a measure of surprise at the rapidity of the Taliban takeover.

'But as the Foreign Secretary travelling around the world, whether I am on leave or I'm travelling for work purposes, I am always set up to be able to grip things'.

A close ally of Mr Raab insisted that No.10 had not 'ordered' him to return on the Friday.

The ally said: 'The suggestion was that he should make plans to come back. They said that if things get worse then he needed to be ready to come back at a moment's notice. He then talked it through with the PM and it was agreed that he would came back on Sunday'. 

Large crowds at Kabul airport being held back by stun grenades
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A Pakistani paramilitary soldier, right, and Taliban fighters stand guard on their respective sides at a border crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Torkham, in Khyber district, Pakistan

A Pakistani paramilitary soldier, right, and Taliban fighters stand guard on their respective sides at a border crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Torkham, in Khyber district, Pakistan

Crushed to death in stampede: At least four women are killed in front of terrified children as thousands desperate to flee the Taliban descend on Kabul airport after discovering mercy flights could end in just 48 hours Crushed to death in stampede: At least four women are killed in front of terrified children as thousands desperate to flee the Taliban descend on Kabul airport after discovering mercy flights could end in just 48 hours Reviewed by Your Destination on August 22, 2021 Rating: 5

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