Video shows man clinging to side of U.S. aircraft amid scramble to flee Afghanistan

Man films himself clinging to plane leaving Kabul Dramatic footage shows an Afghan man filming himself and others clinging to a U.S. Air Force plane departing Kabul on Aug. 16.

Toronto — As thousands of Afghans made desperate efforts to flee Kabul amid the Taliban advance, a video shot by someone clinging to the side a U.S. aircraft has surfaced, showing just what it was like in the moments before the plane took off.

The video has been corroborated by Storyful, a news and social media verification agency.

At least seven people died in the chaos at the airport on Aug. 16, said U.S. officials. It’s not clear from the video what became of the person who recorded the video.

This image shows a person clinging onto a U.S. military aircraft as it departs the airport in Kabul.

As the military plane attempted to depart, dozens of people chased it down the runway, some attempting to grab a hold of whatever they could. (Verified UGC via AP)

These satellite images show the size of the crowd at the Kabul airport. (2021 Maxar Technologies via AP)

Afghan citizens are seen packed inside a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III on their way out of the country. It is uncertain if this is the same aircraft seen in the above images and video. (Capt. Chris Herbert/U.S. Air Force via AP)

Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Shekib Rahmani)

U.S soldiers stand guard along a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Shekib Rahmani)

As thousands of people packed onto the tarmac on Aug. 16, Taliban fighters began to stand guard on the road to the airport. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)