A 13-year-old Afghan boy made a dangerous journey from Kabul to Delhi by hiding in the landing gear compartment of a Kam Air passenger aircraft, officials confirmed.
The boy, from Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, sneaked into Kabul airport on Sunday (21) and stowed away in the rear central wheel well of flight RQ-4401. The plane, a Kam Airlines service, landed in Delhi after a journey of about two hours.
Airport staff were alerted when the teenager was seen wandering near the aircraft shortly after it touched down at Indira Gandhi International Airport around 11am. He was detained by airline personnel and handed over to India’s Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
During questioning, the boy said he had entered the compartment out of “curiosity”. He reportedly told officials he had wanted to travel to Iran and did not know that the flight was bound for Delhi.
After being held for several hours, the boy was repatriated to Kabul on the same aircraft, which departed around 12.30 pm on Sunday.
Security checks were immediately carried out on the aircraft. A small red-coloured speaker, believed to belong to the boy, was found inside the landing gear area. The plane was later declared safe following thorough inspection and anti-sabotage checks.
Aviation experts say surviving such journeys is extremely rare. The wheel well of an aircraft is not pressurised or heated, exposing stowaways to extreme cold, lack of oxygen, and the risk of falling when the landing gear is deployed.
While there have been several reported cases of people attempting to flee their countries by hiding inside aircraft, many do not survive the journey. In 2022, a 22-year-old Kenyan man was discovered alive in the wheel well of a cargo plane in Amsterdam, but such instances remain exceptional.
Officials described the Delhi case as “extraordinary” given the risks involved. “It is almost impossible for someone to survive in that part of the plane,” one security officer said.
The incident has once again raised questions about airport security in Kabul. Reports suggest the boy managed to trail behind a group of passengers before slipping into the aircraft unnoticed.
Though his journey ended without tragedy, experts warn that most stowaways attempting to hide in wheel wells die either in mid-air or shortly before landing.
(with inputs from PTI)
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