Kabul: A 17-year-old Afghanistan youth team footballer Zaki Anwari reportedly lost his life while trying to flee the country amidst the political turmoil caused by the Taliban invasion. Anwari was among many, who tried to flee the country to a U.S. Military aircraft (C-17 Globemaster) in Kabul this week.
According to sources, Anwari lost his life when he tried to hold on to the outside of the plane and fell down. His death was confirmed by the country’s official sports federation on Thursday. During the mayhem, thousands of civilians breached the airport perimeter and surrounded the aircraft, which landed in Kabul for the purpose of offloading cargo.
The C-17 Globemaster carried five times its suggested payload as thousands of Afghans trying to move out of the country to avoid the current situation. According to reports, atleast five people were killed in the chaos.
“Anwari was one of hundreds of young people who wanted to leave the country and, in an incident, fell off an American military plane and died,” read a statement from the country’s sports federation on Facebook. The post also wished Anwari, a place in heaven and offered a prayer that God grant his family, friends and teammates peace and patience as they mourn.
Meanwhile, the Air Force Office of Special Investigation released a statement saying, “Our hearts go out to the families of the deceased.” They also promised a review of the tragic incident. “In addition to online videos and press reports of people falling from the aircraft on departure, human remains were discovered in the wheel well of the C-17 after it landed at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar,” it added.
