London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 18, 2026

Afghanistan: Taxi driver, shopkeeper: UK victims of Kabul attack

Afghanistan: Taxi driver, shopkeeper: UK victims of Kabul attack

An Uber driver from Hampshire and a shopkeeper from north London were among those who died in the Kabul attack.

Mohammad Niazi and Musa Popal were killed after a blast shook the Afghan capital on Thursday.

Zohra Popal said her father was said to be waving his British passport at US troops when the explosion occurred.

Mr Popal, 60, and Mr Niazi, died as thousands waited for evacuation outside Kabul airport after the Taliban seized control of the city.

The UK Foreign Office has so far confirmed two British nationals and the child of a British national were killed in the attack.

Mr Popal ran the Madeena Supermarket in Hendon, north London, for more than 20 years and had travelled to Afghanistan in June with his wife to visit family.

His daughter Zohra said her mother survived the blast, but Mr Popal's 14-year-old grandson Hameed was still missing.

Hameed Popal remains missing after the attack on Thursday

Zohra, who moved to the UK to join her parents in 2014, said: "My mother, she had to crawl away, covered in blood and pieces of people. She saw everything.

"There was blood everywhere, she told us, and they were slipping in it when they were trying to get up.

"It was so loud that some of them are still deaf and can't hear each other. It was a living nightmare for them.

"Had we known anything like this would happen, we wouldn't have let them go."

Mr Popal ran the Madeena Supermarket in Hendon for more than two decades

She said her mother had lost everything in the bombing, including her documents, and that she and other relatives were still in danger after the UK's withdrawal on Saturday.

Describing her father as "loving" and "supportive", Ms Popal said he had always helped her with her assignments at the College of North West London.

Ms Popal said she had yet to be contacted by the Foreign Office following her father's death.

Mohammad Niazi - a taxi driver living in Farnborough - was also killed in the attack after he travelled to Afghanistan to help his family get inside the airport.

Friends believe his Afghan wife and children - who were thought to be having visa problems - were also killed.

One of his friends, Dinez Carnay, said Mr Niazi had told him he was flying to Afghanistan to get his family and that was the last he had heard.He told the BBC: "When you know somebody and suddenly you learn he passed away, especially in a very difficult circumstance, then all you have to do is to pray for the soul."

Mr Niazi's brother Abdul Hamid said he was killed during the firing in the aftermath of the blast.

As many as 170 people died in the suicide attack, including 13 US service personnel.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TUC Calls for Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Taxes on Bank Profits
UK Parliament Enters Conference Recess After Advancing Sovereign Grant Legislation
King Charles Hosts Artificial Intelligence Leaders at Dumfries House Summit
Nearly Seven in Ten UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
Anthropic Details Malicious Use of Claude in Cyber, Weapons and Influence Operations
McLaren Announces £500 Million UK Investment and 1,000 New Jobs
Scotland and Wales Sign Cardiff Agreement to Deepen Cooperation on Shared Policy Priorities
UK Government Moves to Fully Fund Teacher Pay Award as Strike Threat Recedes
UK Competition Regulator Deepens Scrutiny of Microsoft’s Business Software and AI Market Position
NHS England Reforms Focus on Cutting Waiting Lists and Improving Digital Care
England Maintains Mandatory Housing Targets in Push for 1.5 Million New Homes
UK Government Plans Statutory Industrial Strategy Council to Strengthen Long-Term Economic Policy
Asthma Charity Warns of Major Gaps in Childhood Diagnostic Testing Across England
TUC Chief Paul Nowak Appointed to Bank of England Court
Bristol Opens £35 Million Deep-Tech Innovation Hub at Temple Quarter
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Housing Plan
Andy Burnham Deepens UK Defense and AI Cooperation With NATO and Canada
UK Government Announces Neonatal Safety Reforms After Thirlwall Inquiry
Bank of England Weighs Rate Decision as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
UK Health Unions Warn of Staffing Pressures as Public and Private Pay Growth Diverges
Rockstar Games Faces Tribunal Claims From 23 Former Grand Theft Auto VI Developers
UK Treasury Faces Tighter Budget Constraints as Borrowing Costs and Pension Spending Rise
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Plan for Greater Public Oversight of Utilities
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Coordinate Push for UK Constitutional Change
Police Tighten Public-Order Measures After Anti-Immigration Protests in Dover and Portsmouth
UK Ministers Pressed for Answers After US Diplomat Accused of Child Abuse Images Leaves Britain
Jaguar Land Rover Pursues NATO Defense Contracts for Defender Vehicles
British Service Member Dies in Road Accident While Deployed in Ukraine
George Osborne Calls for Britain to Rejoin EU Customs Union
Anthropic Chief Dario Amodei Urges Faster UK Action on Advanced AI Risks
UK State Pension Set for 3.9% Rise Under Triple Lock
UK Labour Market Cools as Payrolled Employment Continues to Decline
Reform UK’s £72 Million in Donations Faces Scrutiny Under Proposed Retrospective Funding Rules
UK Doctors Warn Expanded Pharmacy First Scheme Could Put Patients at Risk
British Airlines Cut Short-Haul Capacity as Jet Fuel Costs Rise
UK News Publishers Forecast 40% Search Traffic Drop as AI Overviews Expand
Axel Springer Wins Approval for £575 Million Daily Telegraph Acquisition
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Opposes Heathrow Third Runway Over Climate Targets
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Hold Summit Seeking Greater Autonomy
UK Energy Price Cap Set to Rise to £1,723 in October
UK Treasury Warns Middle East Conflict Is Threatening Economic Growth
Labour Moves to Retrospectively Cap Overseas Political Donations After Reform UK Funding Surge
HMRC Warns Nearly Seven Million Adults Are Unclear About State Pension Entitlements
UK Parliament Passes Sovereign Grant Reform Before Conference Recess
British Rail Passengers Gain Automatic Right to Switch Operators During Disruptions
Burnham Hosts Downing Street Business Summit as UK Fiscal Pressure Builds
Labour Government Moves to Challenge £72 Million in Reform UK Crypto Donations
UK Advertising Industry Warns Wider Junk Food Rules Could Put £1 Billion in Media Spending at Risk
Cornwall Opens Devolution Talks With UK Government Over Transport and Local Services
×