A British student who claimed he was stuck in Kabul after going on holiday to Afghanistan has been safely evacuated.
Miles Routledge, 21, from Birmingham, said in a series of Facebook posts on Tuesday that he was being transported out of the country, which is now under Taliban control.
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He told The Times he booked a holiday to Afghanistan after watching tourism videos on YouTube.
When Routledge was unable to secure a refund for his flights after the Taliban insurgency took hold, he decided to travel there anyway.
He has documented his trip online, using streaming platform Twitch and message board 4chan.
Read Also: Taliban Enter Kabul, Seek Transfer Of Power As US Evacuates From Afghanistan
Routledge shared updates about his experiences over recent days as the Taliban seized the country, including claims he had encountered the group’s members, seen dead bodies in the street and shielded from gunfire in a Nato-controlled safe house.
On Monday, he had he had been abandoned by the British Embassy in the Afghan capital and was hiding in a United Nations safe house following several failed attempts to escape the city.
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In one of his videos, a physics student at Loughborough University, said: “I genuinely thought I was going to die. I should be safe. If I die, I die, but if not, it’s all good.”
Reacting, a Foreign Office spokesperson said;
We are aware of this case and are attempting to reach the individual to offer assistance. We are working hard to contact all the British nationals we are aware of who remain in Afghanistan, to help them leave the country.
Routlege had visited the country thinking it’ll be safe to visit because the country would not fall to the Taliban for several months.
Read Also: Thousands Struggle To Flee Afghanistan As Taliban Take Control (Videos)
But on Sunday, August 15, Taliban troops rolled into the capital, seizing power as president Ashraf Ghani ran for his life.
There were chaotic scenes at the city’s international airport on Monday as thousands of people gathered in a desperate attempt to flee the country.
The Loughborough physics student has now shared an update, saying he has been rescued from Taliban territory and had been able to catch a flight to Dubai.
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Routledge wrote on Facebook;
Got Evacuated at 4ish (it’s 2am now) with 100 or so other civilians, couldn’t message as there were cars emitting signals that would set off bombs, it blocked my airpods from connecting so I think it blocked all wifi/data.
He added;
The Taliban let us go through the airport and we met many of them, very long transition period but everyone was smiling and waving at one another, some took selfies with them. I slept on a dirt/gravel road and woke up as cars went by. We’re in a new safe house and we’re all hydrated, happy and ready for a few hours of sleep.
Shortly after Routledge posted an update saying;
On the flight out we aren’t allowed any liquids at all, no razors and only 1 bag up to 10kg so everyone is tossing all their belongings into a pile.
People are donating each other their items because they can’t carry them. Some lads stuffed my body armour and bag with protein bars, over 20 of them. Very happy man (right now). Thank you lads.
