Afghanistan: British businessman rescued from Kabul by German military

Man, who declined to be named for security reasons, was stranded at airport for two days without food or water

A British businessman has paid tribute to the German troops who helped him flee Afghanistan after the Taliban took over Kabul.

The man, who declined to be named for security reasons, was stranded at the airport for two days without food or water before finally being ushered onto the plane that brought him to safety.

After arriving in Frankfurt, he thanked the German air force for doing a “tremendous” job at the airport which he said had fallen to “chaos”, with shots fired and tear gas “flying all around”.

Footage from Kabul airport on the day the Taliban took over shows hundreds of Afghan people desperately trying to board planes to escape the new regime. One image shows more than 600 men, women and children crammed into a single US air force plane.

The Briton passed gridlocked traffic with tanks queuing behind cars on his way to the airport, where he says he was directed towards US and German troops.

"It took me a good few hours to get myself close to the gate and shout out that I am British and please get me out of here," he said.

"There was chaos and they had guns; they were shooting. Tear gas was just flying all around and then one of them just got me inside and I was in tears, honestly."

The man shot video inside the terminal which shows a group of men struggling over a vending machine and taking its contents.

"They looted the airport and the terminal, they broke everything that was in there: computers, the canteens and we were scared,” he said.

“We were not allowed to go out because Taliban was there and on this side it was the American troops. So we were like, what are we going to do? Just stay here!"

German soldiers talk to evacuees upon arrival from Kabul on board a German air force plane at Tashkent airport, Uzbekistan (EPA)

After being greeted by the German troops, the Briton flew to Frankfurt via Tashkent on an Uzbekistan Airways flight. Others still await their escape: reports suggest 4,000 Britons and allies have been attempting to flee Kabul in the days since the Taliban’s takeover.

There have also been harrowing scenes of Afghans who cannot make it out of the country trying to pass their babies over barbed wire fences to foreign troops in the hopes that they will be brought to safety.

"I am very thankful to the German air force and German troops,” the Briton told Reuters after making his escape. “They were doing a tremendous job at the airport. Salute to them!"