US cargo plane carries 640 Afghans on tightly packed flight

A U.S. military cargo plane carried roughly 640 Afghan people from Kabul late on Sunday, according to a newly released photo depicting one of the many densely packed evacuation flights.

The U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, which carried the Afghans, has operated for nearly three decades but was never intended to hold such a vast load of people. Panicked and desperate Afghans attempting to flee the country following the Taliban takeover of the country reportedly pulled themselves onto the plane’s half-open ramp, a U.S. defense official told Defense One on Monday.

“Approximately 640 Afghan civilians disembarked the aircraft when it arrived at its destination,” another defense official told the outlet.