Kathmandu – In an astonishing and extremely dangerous act, a 13-year-old boy from Afghanistan was found hiding in the landing gear of an aircraft that landed in Delhi on Sunday.
The boy, whose identity has not been disclosed yet, managed to make it to the Indian capital after stowing away in the aircraft’s landing gear compartment.
According to news agency PTI, the crew of the airline flight (Flight Number RQ-4401) noticed a young boy walking near the aircraft shortly before takeoff at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. They immediately alerted the airport’s CIAF security personnel, who then detained the boy for questioning at Terminal 3.
During interrogation, the boy revealed he was from Kunduz province in Afghanistan. He explained to the investigators that he had hidden at Kabul airport and somehow made his way into the aircraft’s rear central landing gear compartment.
In a follow-up investigation, Kabul Airlines’ security officials discovered a small red speaker inside the landing gear compartment, which was likely brought by the boy. Fortunately, after a thorough investigation, the aircraft was declared safe, and there were no signs of sabotage or foul play.
While the Taliban government in Afghanistan has yet to officially comment on the incident, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s border police, Abdullah Farooqi, confirmed that they were looking into the matter.
This incident has raised serious questions about security measures at Kabul airport, especially regarding access to aircraft landing gear. It is not the first time someone has managed to stow away on a flight, but it is possibly the first time someone has hidden in this specific part of the aircraft.
The survival of the boy is being considered a miracle, given the severe cold and lack of oxygen at such high altitudes, which would make it nearly impossible to survive the journey. The incident highlights the extreme lengths some individuals may go to in search of escape, and the vulnerabilities in airport security systems that allow such dangerous stowaways to succeed.
FACEBOOK COMMENTS