KABUL, 23 August 2021, (TON): A panicked crush of people trying to enter Kabul’s international airport killed seven Afghan civilians in the crowds, the British military said, showing the danger still posed to those trying to flee the Taliban’s takeover of the country.

On Sunday, the British military acknowledged the deaths of seven civilians in the crowds in Kabul. There have been stampedes and crushing injuries in the crowds, especially as Taliban fighters fire into the air to drive away those desperate to get on any flight out of the country.

The defence ministry said in a statement “conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible.”

Thousands rushed the airport last Monday in the chaos that saw the US try to clear off the runway with low-flying attack helicopters. Several Afghans plunged to their deaths while hanging off the side of a US military cargo plane. It’s been difficult to know the full scale of the deaths and injuries from the chaos.

The Biden administration is considering calling on US commercial airlines to provide planes and crews to assist in transporting Afghan refugees once they are evacuated from their country by military aircraft.