Delhi: A 13-year-old boy from Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan undertook a perilous journey by hiding in the landing gear compartment of a Kam Air passenger plane traveling from Kabul to Delhi. Upon the plane’s arrival at Delhi’s international airport, the boy was found wandering the runway.

According to BBC, Indian security personnel detained the teen and questioned him for several hours before he was sent back to Kabul on the same flight. He reportedly told authorities that he had concealed himself in the rear central landing gear compartment of the aircraft.

Further safety inspections by the airline staff revealed a small red-colored audio speaker. The Indian Express reported that the boy’s intended destination was Iran, and he was unaware that the flight he boarded was bound for Delhi. He managed to sneak into Kabul airport, follow a group of passengers, and hide in the aircraft’s rear wheel well, carrying only the red speaker.

There have been recent cases of stowaways attempting to escape their home countries by hiding in flights bound for the US or Europe, though survival is rare. Experts note that surviving such flights often means being unconscious during descent, risking falling to death when the landing gear is lowered. In 2022, a 22-year-old Kenyan man was found alive in the wheel well of a cargo plane in Amsterdam.