Afghan authorities have confirmed that one of the bodies that fell from the US military plane is of Zaki Anwari, a 19 year old Afghan football player.
Zaki had played for Afghanistan’s national youth team. Any further news about his death or his family’s whereabouts has not been disclosed yet.
It is believed Anwari attempted to hold on to the outside of the American military aircraft as it departed from Hamid Karzai international airport, Kabul.
Afghan authorities have confirmed that a young footballer fell to his death after trying to stow away on a US military plane leaving Kabul airport.
Zaki Anwari, 19, had played for Afghanistan's national youth team. pic.twitter.com/sS1FVrmNKH
— Asian Football (@AsianFootballs) August 20, 2021
The US Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) said it was reviewing all available information regarding a C-17 aircraft, as well as the loss of civilian lives.
“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 said.
It is believed that at least five people died in the chaos on the ground in Kabul, during which US troops fired into the air to deter people from making their way on to flights evacuating officials.
Read more: Dead Afghan found in C-17 aircraft coming from Kabul
Ever since the Taliban has seized the control over capital city Kabul, a general unrest has prevailed in Afghanistan where crowds gathered at the city’s airport in the hope of escaping the country.
Videos emerged on social media where people could be seen clinging to the sides of a US Air Force plane as it was about to take off. Two people fell from USAF Boeing C-17 on Monday and one of them was unfortunately Zaki Anwari.
In a statement on Facebook, Afghanistan’s General Directorate of Physical Education and Sports paid tribute to Mr Anwari.
“May he rest in heaven and pray to God for his family, friends and sports colleagues,” the sports body said.
Others have also been sharing their respects on social media.
“His departure is a great sorrow,” wrote one user on Instagram. “Your memory is always dear to me”.
Read more: Taliban admit killing Afghan comedian beaten in viral video
Anwari was a member of the under-14 national football team and “a lovely human,” Shams Amini, a deputy spokesman of the Afghan football federation said. Amini added that the team had a training session the first day the Taliban took over, but their office has closed since.
“We don’t know anything about our future planning yet, waiting for Taliban regime policies and guidance,” he said. The former captain of the women’s national team, who now lives in Copenhagen, urged her teammates to burn their jerseys for fear of Taliban reprisals.
Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends and teammates of young Afghan national team footballer Zaki Anwari, who reportedly died in a fall from a U.S. plane at Kabul airport on Monday. pic.twitter.com/2DgulUw1HD
— FIFPRO (@FIFPRO) August 19, 2021
“Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and teammates of young Afghan national team footballer Zaki Anwari,” the International Federation of Professional Footballers tweeted.
“He was a brilliant young player, a very good human,” his coach Mobin Muhammad said through tears.