In an astonishing and perilous act, a 13-year-old boy from Afghanistan managed to sneak into Kabul airport and hide inside the rear landing gear compartment of a plane bound for Delhi, India. The boy’s extraordinary journey made headlines around the world, not only for the incredible risks he took but also for the unbelievable fact that he survived the deadly conditions of the aircraft’s underbelly.
The boy, whose name has not been publicly revealed, reportedly sneaked into the airport undetected, bypassing security measures to climb into the landing gear bay of the aircraft. When questioned later, he told authorities that he had done so “out of curiosity,” seemingly unaware of the immense dangers he would face during the flight.The journey itself was a life-threatening endeavor. At cruising altitude, temperatures in the landing gear compartment can plummet to subzero levels, and oxygen levels drop to dangerously low levels, making survival virtually impossible for most stowaways. Hypothermia and hypoxia claim the lives of many who attempt such escapes. Yet, against all odds, the young boy survived the grueling flight from Kabul to Delhi.
Upon landing in Delhi, the boy was discovered alive and in a fragile state. Airport ground staff were stunned to find him unscathed, but he was immediately detained and given basic medical attention. Authorities soon questioned him about his intentions, and after a thorough check-up, they arranged for his deportation back to Afghanistan on the same aircraft the following day—this time as a formal passenger rather than a stowaway.While his survival defied the grim odds of such a dangerous attempt, the boy’s story is a stark reminder of the extreme measures some people, especially young individuals, will take when driven by a desire to escape or explore the unknown. His tale also serves as a wake-up call to the authorities about the dire need to address the conditions that lead to such risky and desperate actions.
The boy’s motives and understanding of the risks he took remain unclear, but one thing is certain: his remarkable survival highlights both the extraordinary will to survive and the shocking realities faced by those willing to escape at any cost.