New Delhi: In a startling incident at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, a 13-year-old Afghan boy managed to reach India by hiding in the landing gear of an airplane traveling from Kabul. Authorities said the boy had intended to go to Iran but mistakenly boarded a flight to India. Immigration officials have taken him into custody, and arrangements are being made to return him to Kabul.
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Caught on Arrival
According to airport officials, the incident occurred on Sunday morning. Around 10:20 a.m., Kam Airways Flight RQ 4401 arrived from Kabul. As the plane taxied after passenger disembarkation, airport staff spotted the boy wandering in a suspicious manner. When questioned, he revealed that he was from Afghanistan. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) took him into custody and later handed him over to the immigration authorities.
94 Minutes in the Sky
The boy told officials that he had accidentally entered the flight. At Kabul Airport, he had followed passengers and climbed into the wheel well, a cramped compartment that houses the plane’s landing gear. After takeoff, the wheel well door closed, leaving him trapped for the duration of the flight. The approximately 1,000-kilometer journey from Kabul to Delhi lasted about 94 minutes.
A Remarkable Survival
Traveling in an aircraft’s wheel well is extremely hazardous. Experts say that only one in five people attempting such a stunt survives. At cruising altitudes of around 30,000 feet, the combination of low oxygen levels, sub-zero temperatures, and cramped conditions makes survival highly unlikely.
Authorities described the boy’s survival as “nothing short of miraculous.” The incident raises pressing concerns about airport security and highlights the risks faced by stowaways, while also prompting aviation authorities to reassess safety protocols to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
