Sad Day As 19-Year-Old Promising Afghan Footballer Falls From US Plane, Dies

Sad Day As 19-Year-Old Promising Afghan Footballer Falls From US Plane, Dies

  • Anwari was part of the group at the Hamid Karzai international airport who desperately wanted to leave the country
  • Crowds have gathered at the airport since the Taliban took control of the Afghan capital
  • Reports claim Anwari, 19, attempted to hold on to the outside of a military aircraft but fell to his death

A 19-year old Afghan player fell to his death after attempting to cling to a US plane airlifting the people of Kabul.

Footballer Zaki Anwari 'dies in Fall from Plane' at Kabul
Zaki Anwari tried to cling onto a plane but fell to his death. Photo: Guardian.
Source: UGC

Zaki Anwari, a member of his country’s national youth team, attempted to hold on to the outside of the American military aircraft as it departed from Hamid Karzai international airport.

A harrowing video that has since been shared on social media appears to show two people falling to their deaths from a C-17 aircraft.

Read also

Nine bandits killed as rival groups engage in gun battle in Kaduna over ransom sharing

The Guardian further reports that an Afghan news agency since confirmed that one of the people who plunged to their demise was Anwari.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through info@corp.legit.ng!

Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) has since released a statement saying it was reviewing all information regarding the C-17 aircraft.

“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," the statement said.

Hamid Karzai international airport has been crowded by civilians over the past few days since the Taliban took seized the Afghan capital.

Because of the tension, some people, including the late Anwari, opted to take their chances at the airport in the hopes of fleeing the country.

Read also

Recent events in Afghanistan: Quick lessons for Nigeria by Johnson Olawumi

Mobin Muhammad, Anwari’s coach was in tears as he described the promising footballer as a person.

“He was a brilliant young player, a very good human,” he said as quoted by The Daily Beast.

One of Anwari’s latest posts on Facebook had the caption, “Football is my love”.

The harrowing state of Afghanistan

By Thursday, the Kabul airport was characterized by chaotic scenes as people who were eligible for evacuation were unable to reach their designated aircraft.

The situation got so desperate for some that some people were seen passing their babies to US soldiers with hopes they might escape the country.

There are also fears for the safety of those who worked for US and Nato forces or the previous Afghan government as a leaked report warned the Taliban were going from door to door threatening their family members.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ibitoye Shittu avatar

Ibitoye Shittu Ibitoye Shittu is an award-winning Sports Journalist with more than 10 years of experience in News-writing, reporting and Public Relations. He is a B.SC holder in Mass Communication and can be reached on Twitter @ibishittu

Khadijah Thabit avatar

Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com