The Afghan stowaway, whose remains were found in the landing gear of the U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft that took off from Kabul airport on Monday, was a promising young footballer and posted a final Facebook message about "choosing own destiny." Zaki Anwari, 19, was killed after clinging onto the plane as he tried to flee Afghanistan to escape the wrath of the Taliban.
Anwari is believed to be the boy who got crushed and was killed in the landing gear, according to the The General Directorate of Physical Education & Sports of Afghanistan, reported Ariana News. Around 640 people boarded the ill-fated C-17 plane from Kabul on Monday in a bid to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban took seize of the capital on Sunday.
Gone Too Soon
Anwari was among the three Afghans who got killed after clinging onto the plane. Two others fell hundreds of feet to the ground as the aircraft took off. After the crew discovered Anwari's body stuck in the landing gear, the plane had to make an emergency landing.
According to reports and social media posts, the teen lived in Kabul and was a student of Esteghlal High School (Franco-Afghan school in Kabul). Anwari was also a promising young footballer and had played for Afghanistan's national youth football team when he was 16 years old.
According to social media posts, many have been claiming that Anwari had made up his mind to flee Afghanistan as he wanted to make a career in football and believed that his dreams won't come true if the Taliban were back in the government.
In his final Facebook post, the promising young footballer wrote: "You're the painter of your live (sic) Don't give the paint brush to anyone else!" That says a lot about the young footballer's aspirations and dreams.
Who Is to Be Blamed?
A video footage of Anwari getting crushed in the landing gear went viral on social media. Horror footage showed his remains being buffeted by the wind as he hung from the aircraft's fuselage near the landing gear.
Tributes started pouring in the moment it was revealed that the person crushed to death in the landing gear was Anwari. One of his friends posted: "We are from God and we return to him."
Another message read: "Comrade, with whom I had the most and most unforgettable memories, his loss is a great sorrow for me and unspeakable."
Afghanistan's assistant manager Ali Askar Lali said: "May his soul rest in peace and his memory be remembered"
Videos posted on social media show the horrifying scenes at Kabul airport where thousands have gathered to fly out of Afghanistan as they fear that Taliban's brutal rule based on an extreme interpretation of Islam will be back soon in Afghanistan.
Harrowing video shows stowaways falling several hundred feet to their deaths after being thrown from a C-17 transport aircraft taking off from Kabul airport. The aircraft which has a capacity to accommodate 150 people finally took off with 640 people.
