Seven People Reported Dead Amid Chaos, Gunfire at Kabul Airport

The chaotic scenes at Kabul’s international airport have left at least seven dead, Politico reports. Videos on social media have shown people racing to catch evacuating U.S. aircraft as the situation surrounding the U.S. withdrawal from the region continues to deteriorate. Some individuals died after falling off a departing U.S. jet, according to senior U.S. officials. The Wall Street Journal reported that three people were shot, while an eyewitness told Reuters that there were at least five bodies but it wasn’t clear if they died from gunfire or a stampede. Earlier in the morning, U.S. troops fired shots into the air to scatter a crowd. All commercial flights out of Kabul were suspended Monday morning and multiple videos showed people sprinting across runways and trying to board moving planes. The U.S. State Department said early Monday that all of its embassy staff have reached the airport and are awaiting evacuations. President Biden will address the nation this afternoon.