13-Year-Old Afghan Boy Survives Miracle Flight Hidden in Plane’s Wheel Well

Kokcha News Agency – In a miraculous turn of events, a 13-year-old Afghan boy survived a 94-minute flight from Kabul to Delhi after hiding in the wheel well of a Kam Air aircraft. The incident occurred on Sunday, during flight RKQ-4401, which departed Kabul International Airport at 8:46 AM and landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi at 10:20 AM.

A source at Kam Air confirmed the incident to Afghanistan International Television, revealing that the boy had initially intended to travel to Iran but mistakenly boarded the Kabul-Delhi flight.

According to the source, the boy had traveled from Kunduz to Kabul and had hidden himself in the plane’s wheel well the night before the flight. The Afghan teenager was immediately returned to Kabul on a return flight.

The boy was found carrying prohibited items such as cigarettes and a lighter in his pocket.

This incident has raised serious questions about the security measures at Kabul International Airport. Neither the private security company responsible for the airport nor the Taliban security forces noticed the boy as he bypassed multiple checkpoints.

A Kam Air source stated, “If this boy had been carrying explosives, the reality is that he could have passed through all the checkpoints without any obstacles.” The source added that if such an incident had occurred with a foreign airline, the consequences could have been severe.

The boy was spotted in Terminal 3 of Delhi airport after the plane landed and was handed over to airport police. Indian authorities confirmed that he was in stable physical condition and would not face legal action due to his age.

Aviation experts have described hiding in the wheel well of an aircraft as one of the most dangerous methods of illegal travel, often resulting in death.

An aviation expert told the New Indian Express that the Afghan teenager likely survived because the enclosed wheel well space retained some cabin pressure and temperature. Otherwise, survival at an altitude of 30,000 feet would have been impossible due to oxygen deprivation and extreme cold.

Doctors also noted that at altitudes above 10,000 feet, oxygen levels drop drastically, and temperatures between -40 to -60 degrees Celsius can cause unconsciousness and death within minutes.

According to global statistics, only one in five stowaways who attempt to travel this way survive.