German president says Kabul airport chaos ‘shameful for the West’

Frank-Walter Steinmeier says Berlin shares responsibility for unfolding ‘human tragedy’ in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

Germany’s president says the images of crowds of Afghans desperately attempting to flee Kabul airport after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan are “shameful for the political West”. At least seven people were killed at the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Monday as thousands thronged towards it. In shocking scenes captured on video, some scaled a United States Air Force plane as it prepared to take off. At least two people appeared to fall from the jet after it left the ground, plummeting to their deaths.