WORLD NEWS

Afghan woman delivers baby aboard US evacuation aircraft

Aug 23, 2021, 6:17 AM | Updated: 6:20 am

Medical support personnel from the 86th Medical Group help an Afghan mother and family off a U.S. A...

Medical support personnel from the 86th Medical Group help an Afghan mother and family off a U.S. Air Force C-17, call sign Reach 828, moments after she delivered a child aboard the aircraft upon landing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (U.S. Air Mobility Command/Twitter)

(U.S. Air Mobility Command/Twitter)

(CNN) — An Afghan mother delivered a baby girl just after touching down at Ramstein Air Base in Germany Saturday aboard a U.S. military evacuation flight, the U.S. Air Force said on its social media.

In a Twitter thread Sunday, the U.S. Air Mobility Command said the woman went into labor aboard a C-17 transport aircraft during the second leg of her journey fleeing the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The flight was from a staging base in the Middle East to the large U.S. airbase in Germany.

The U.S. Air Force said the mother began to have complications while the aircraft was at its flight altitude, typically above 28,000 feet (8,534 meters), due to the lower air pressure in the plane.

“The aircraft commander decided to descend in altitude to increase air pressure in the aircraft, which helped stabilize and save the mother’s life,” said the tweet, which was sent from the U.S. Air Mobility Command’s official account.

Once the plane was on the ground at the Ramstein base, personnel from the Air Force’s 86th Medical Group assisted in the delivery of the baby in the C-17’s cargo bay, the tweet said. Mother and baby were then transported to a nearby medical facility where they are in good condition.

Ramstein Air Base has emerged as a key transit point for evacuees from Afghanistan.

Gen. Hank Taylor told reporters during a briefing at the Pentagon on Saturday that C-17s were moving evacuees from an airbase in Qatar to Germany to relieve a backlog of people at the Qatar base, where many flights coming directly from Kabul have been terminating.

On Friday, U.S. military evacuation flights from the Afghan capital were paused for almost eight hours because the staging area at the U.S. military base in Qatar was full, officials said.

Brig. Gen. Josh Olson told CNN on Saturday that the Ramstein base has a capacity for 5,000 people, but extra facilities under construction should accommodate 7,500 by Sunday evening.

Olson said he expects evacuees to stay for between 48 and 72 hours at the base. The U.S. agreement with Germany states they should not stay for more than 10 days, he added.

Since the end of July, 22,000 people have been evacuated, Gen. Taylor said. Of those, 17,000 have been evacuated since August 14.

On Friday, the Air Force said one of its C-17 flights from Afghanistan had set a record for the number of people ever carried aboard the aircraft.

A flight on August 15 that the Air Force originally said carried 640 people actually had 823 aboard, Air Mobility Command said in a tweet, after the initial count did not include 183 children aboard the aircraft.


The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

KSL 5 TV Live

World News

FILE - Eggs are displayed on store shelves at a local grocery store in Chandler, Ariz., Jan. 21, 20...

Dee-Ann Burrin, AP Business Writer

What’s keeping egg prices high for Easter? It’s not just inflation

Egg prices are at near-historic highs in many parts of the world as Easter and Passover approach.

14 hours ago

Pope Francis...

Christopher Lamb, CNN

Pope Francis breaks annual Easter tradition

Pope Francis on Thursday has washed the feet of 12 women at a prison in Rome during a ceremony emphasizing humility.

19 hours ago

A Russian law enforcement officer near the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue following a shoot...

Associated Press

Death toll in Moscow concert hall attack rises to 140 after another victim dies in hospital

The death toll in last week’s Moscow concert hall attack rose to 140 on Wednesday after another victim died in a hospital, Russian officials said

2 days ago

Mukhammadsobir Faizov, a suspect in the shooting attack, appeared unresponsive in court, on Sunday....

Christian Edwards, Masha Angelova, Josh Pennington and Anna Chernova, CNN

Moscow concert hall attack suspects appear in court as Russia defends security services

The four men suspected of carrying out a brutal attack at a Moscow concert hall that killed at least 139 people have appeared in court on terror charges.

4 days ago

A critically endangered Western Lowland Gorilla mother holds her baby, one of two babies born at th...

Associated Press

Baby gorilla cuddled by mother at London Zoo remains nameless

The newest endangered baby gorilla at the London Zoo is more than six weeks old but doesn’t yet have a name. Zookeepers aren’t even sure if it’s a male or female because they haven’t been able to get close enough to examine it.

4 days ago

Those hoping to climb Everest this year will have to bring their excrement down with them from the ...

Amy Woodyatt

Everest climbers will have to take their poop away with them, as Nepal tries to address growing waste problem

Those hoping to climb Everest this year will have to make some slight adjustments to their packing list, as new rules now mandate that climbers bring their poop down with them.

4 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Women hold card for scanning key card to access Photocopier Security system concept...

Les Olson

Why Printer Security Should Be Top of Mind for Your Business

Connected printers have vulnerable endpoints that are an easy target for cyber thieves. Protect your business with these tips.

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Afghan woman delivers baby aboard US evacuation aircraft