Videos of Kabul Airport Chaos Prompt 'World War Z' Comparisons
Photos and videos of Afghan civilians desperately trying to board plans amid the Taliban takeover of Kabul have prompted references to the film World War Z.
Violent scenes from the Afghan capital's airport are shocking the world as many people attempt to escape the country following the collapse of the government and capture of all major cities by the Taliban.
Hundreds of Afghan citizens have been recorded scrambling to board planes at Kabul's international airport, with some footage purporting to show people falling from aircrafts after clinging to the outside during take-off.
One video shared by journalist Sultan Faizy shows hundreds of people scrambling over the top of one another in an attempt to climb onto the air bridge to access the plane.

"Desperate situation unfolding at Kabul airport this morning," journalist Ahmer Khan tweeted. "Thousands of Afghans are at Kabul airport. They are running after moving aircrafts," he later added.
World War Z is a 2013 horror film about a zombie pandemic starring Brad Pitt. It features famous scenes of desperate people fleeing, as well as one stand-out image of a tower of infected people scaling the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Photos from Kabul this morning have prompted many comparisons to the movie, leading to it becoming a trending topic on Twitter on Monday.
World War Z pic.twitter.com/M3zpuB5U0q
— Ani Abello (@ANIABELLO_R) August 16, 2021
BBC South Asia Bureaux Chief Nicola Careem posted a clip writing: "This is, perhaps, one of the saddest images I've seen from #Afghanistan. A people who are desperate and abandoned. No aid agencies, no UN, no government. Nothing."
This is, perhaps, one of the saddest images I've seen from #Afghanistan. A people who are desperate and abandoned. No aid agencies, no UN, no government. Nothing. pic.twitter.com/LCeDEOR3lR
— Nicola Careem (@NicolaCareem) August 16, 2021
This clip in particular has evoked World War Z for many.
"World War Z brought to you by Zombie President @JoeBiden," said author Tony Shaffer.
World War Z brought to you by Zombie President @JoeBiden https://t.co/lwO5WaEH7e
— Tony Shaffer (@T_S_P_O_O_K_Y) August 16, 2021
While journalist Adi Renaldi added: "Looks like a scene in world war z ;( #TheFallOfKabul."
Looks like a scene in world war z ;( #TheFallOfKabul https://t.co/g2lYQrkD5u
— Adi Renaldi | fully inoculated (@anxioushuxley) August 16, 2021
"Desperate Afghans cling to the landing gear of American transports taking off and then they fall down. Horrifying! Looks like the scene of an American World War Z!" reads another tweet.
BIG BREAKING🚨: Desperate Afghans cling to the landing gear of American transports taking off and then they fall down. Horrifying! Looks like the scene of an American World War Z!#Afghanistan #Taliban #Kabul #KabulHasFallen #kabulairport pic.twitter.com/r2RSkn1sQP
— 𝕶𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖍𝖓𝖆🍥🇮🇳 | shadowbanned for life🤘🏼 (@krishnajindal07) August 16, 2021
Last struggle to get onboard…#KabulAirlift pic.twitter.com/58nydCpHS3
— Sultan Faizy سلطان فیضی (@SultanFaizy) August 16, 2021
World War Z vs. Kábul
— Jiežibaba 🦥🇵🇱➡️🇺🇦➡️🇸🇰 (@jietienming) August 16, 2021
Najdi 10 rozdílů 😏 pic.twitter.com/YOjJzRADi8
Another person added: "If you had shown me this clip 3 weeks ago and asked me to guess its origin, I literally would have said World War Z. No joke. That's how bad this is."
If you had shown me this clip 3 weeks ago and asked me to guess its origin, I literally would have said World War Z. No joke. That’s how bad this is. pic.twitter.com/XZQY467ThK
— WokeElsiesGhost👻⚖️ (@ElsiesWoke) August 16, 2021
However, some people have found the comparison distasteful.
"World War Z is trending because westerners are disgusting assholes who dehumanize the populations they victimize," reads one tweet.
World War Z is trending because westerners are disgusting assholes who dehumanize the populations they victimize.
— Caitlin Johnstone ⏳ (@caitoz) August 16, 2021
"Any week that starts with World War Z trending is just..." said author Luvvie Ajayi.
Any week that starts with World War Z trending is just... 😩😩😩
— Luvvie is the #ProfessionalTroublemaker (@Luvvie) August 16, 2021
Waking up this morning & instantly seeing World War Z trending...
— alex (@AlexUlrichh) August 16, 2021
pic.twitter.com/3pH6baGXQL
Videos of the scramble to escape Kabul have also been likened to the fall of Saigon in April 1975.