Human Body Parts Found In Wheel Well Of US Plane From Afghanistan

Human body parts were found in the landing gear of an American military plane that took off from Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul Monday as the Taliban took control of the nation.

The United States Air Force revealed Tuesday that the remains were found in the wheel well of a Boeing C-17 cargo aircraft that took off from Hamid Karzai International Airport, the New York Times reported.

"Our hearts go out to the families of the deceased," Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek was quoted as saying by USA Today.

The remains were discovered after the military plane landed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, according to the outlet. The plane has since been impounded for the collection of the remains and inspection before it can fly again.

The military aircraft landed in Kabul with equipment needed for the evacuation of civilians, but it was forced to take off before it could unload as hundreds of civilians surrounded it and clung to its fuselage.

The crew decided to take off due to the "rapidly deteriorating security situation," Stefanek said.

The Air Force's Office of Special Investigations is now investigating the human remains as well as reports of people falling from the plane after its takeoff.

Thousands of Afghans reportedly poured through the civilian side of the airport after the government fell to the Islamic terrorist group. Civilian and military flights were allegedly halted for hours before U.S., Afghan and allied troops secured the airfield.

Video footage showed a crowd of men surrounding and clinging to a U.S. military jet as it rolled down the tarmac, an earlier report by the Associated Press said. Some of the men fell to their deaths as the aircraft gained altitude, added the outlet.

The crew of the aircraft reportedly declared an emergency as they were unable to retract the plane’s landing gear during the ascent because at least one of the fleeing men had clung to the wheel well, according to military news website Defense One.

At least seven people died during the airport evacuation, which included several who fell from a military jet, U.S. authorities said.

One flight last Sunday was able to evacuate around 640 Afghans, which included men, women, children and the elderly, as Kabul fell.

Purported photos of the C-17 flight — call sign REACH 871 — showed people crammed inside the cargo hold of the aircraft.

The large number of passengers was reportedly not planned, and the crew made the decision to take off rather than force people out.

"The unusually high number of passengers aboard this aircraft… was the result of a dynamic security environment that necessitated quick decision making by the crew," U.S. Central Command spokesperson Karen Roxberry said.

Some aircraft departing Kabul had an even larger load of passengers, according to an official.