Desperate Afghans Die Clinging To Jet

Three stowaways clinging to a military jet as it took off from Kabul were seen falling hundreds of feet to their deaths yesterday.

- Michael Knowles

The men were desperate to escape the coming terror of Taliban control in Afghanistan.

The picture of the trio falling through the air was one of a number of horrifying images to emerge from a day of chaos at Kabul’s airport.

At least 10 people were killed in chaotic scenes as the UK, US and other Western powers attempted to evacuate their citizens from the country.

Tragic

US troops are said to have shot dead two armed Afghans attempting to board a plane.

Groups could be seen clinging to the fuselage of a military transport plane, with others holding on to the under-carriage systems of the gigantic aircraft.

Horror video footage taken from the runway showed people falling to their deaths as a US jet climbed into the air and accelerated to a cruising speed of around 500mph.

The tragic scenes were witnessed as thousands of terrified civilians descended on Hamid Karzai airport.

Some Afghans chased transport jets down the runway in an attempt to board and machine gun fire could be heard as people ran across the tarmac into the airport.