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4w ago

Afghan Boy, 13, Survives Kabul–Delhi Flight in Jet’s Wheel Well and Is Sent Back the Same Day

The incident exposed security gaps at Kabul airport and underscored the often-fatal risks of wheel‑well stowaways.

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Sources said the boy lost his father in a bomb blast and had since been living with a stepfather and brothers who failed to take care of him. | Image: Republic
Indira Gandhi International Airport, in New Delhi, India, on Nov. 15, 2021.

Overview

  • Airline staff at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport spotted the boy walking on the apron after KAM Air flight RQ4401 landed and alerted security.
  • Authorities said the boy, from Kunduz, entered Kabul airport by tailgating passengers and hid in the Airbus A340’s rear central landing gear compartment.
  • CISF and immigration officials detained and questioned the minor at Terminal 3 before arranging his repatriation to Kabul later the same day.
  • KAM Air security and engineering teams inspected the wheel well, recovered a small red speaker believed to be his, conducted anti-sabotage checks, and cleared the aircraft.
  • Officials cited the case as a rare survival given FAA-cited data showing roughly a 75–77% fatality rate for wheel‑well stowaways due to hypoxia, hypothermia, and mechanical hazards.