Indian embassy officials, including ambassador, evacuating Kabul

It has been decided that our ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately, said New Delhi

KABUL:

Indian embassy officials in Kabul, including the ambassador, are being evacuated from the Afghan capital, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry in New Delhi said on Tuesday.

"In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately," spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter.

In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately.

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) August 17, 2021

Thousands of people desperate to flee Afghanistan thronged Kabul's airport on Monday after the Taliban seized the capital, prompting the United States to pause evacuations.

According to Reuters, crowds that had overrun the airport’s tarmac on Monday have largely been cleared, allowing outgoing flights for civilians and diplomats to resume.

Read Pakistan in no hurry to recognise new Kabul set-up

Evacuations were temporarily halted amid chaos at the airfield, which saw reports of at least seven people killed, including two armed men shot dead by US forces, and others believed to have fallen after clinging onto planes taking off from the airport.

Chaos at airport

Dramatic footage posted on social media showed a scene of chaos on the runway, with civilians frantically clambering up an already overcrowded and buckling set of airstairs.

Insane. Don’t have any other words.

The Kabul Airport.

pic.twitter.com/ylraJsDyme

— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) August 16, 2021

As a crowd of hundreds watched on, those who successfully climbed the stairs helped others up, while some hung from the stair railings by their hands.

Panicked families trying to flee the capital carried overpacked luggage, with frightened children in tow.

Taliban fighters have taken over checkpoints across Kabul, and militants with rifles slung over their shoulders walked through the streets of the Green Zone, the heavily fortified district that houses most embassies and international organisations.

Ghani's departure on Sunday finalised the collapse of his government. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

The Taliban sought to reassure the international community that Afghans should not fear them, with co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar saying the militants needed to show that they could "serve our nation and ensure security".