Afghan teen survives flight to Delhi by hiding in aircraft wheel well
New Delhi: In a rare and harrowing incident, a 13-year-old Afghan boy survived a flight to India by hiding in the rear wheel well of an aircraft, The New Indian Express has reported.
The teenager, who reportedly intended to sneak into Iran, mistakenly boarded a flight to Delhi on Sunday. He survived the 94-minute journey and landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport in stable physical condition, sources told The New Indian Express.
The flight, RQ4401 operated by Afghanistan’s KAM Air, departed Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul at 8:46 am IST and landed at Delhi’s Terminal 3 at 10:20 am. According to sources who spoke to The New Indian Express, the boy tailgated passengers at Kabul airport to access the plane and hid in the wheel well during boarding.
“This raises serious concerns about security screening processes at Kabul airport,” a source told The New Indian Express.
The stowaway was discovered after landing when a ground handler spotted him walking in the restricted apron area. The Central Industrial Security Force took him into custody and later handed him over to the airport police. As a minor, he is not subject to legal charges, officials told The New Indian Express.
Experts described the act as extraordinarily dangerous. Aviation specialist Captain Mohan Ranganathan explained to The New Indian Express that the boy may have survived because he entered an enclosed, pressurized section of the wheel bay, which maintained a temperature similar to the passenger cabin.
Dr. Ritin Mohindra, associate professor at PGIMER, Chandigarh, told The New Indian Express that survival at such altitudes is highly unlikely, given the risk of hypoxia, frostbite, and fatal hypothermia.
Globally, only one in five wheel well stowaways survive such journeys due to oxygen deprivation, extreme cold, and mechanical hazards. Sunday’s incident appears to be only the second recorded wheel well stowaway case at an Indian airport. The first occurred on October 14, 1996, when brothers Pradeep (22) and Vijay Saini (19) attempted to stow away on a British Airways flight from Delhi to London; only Pradeep survived.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mangaluru’s Karavali Utsava is back; Cultural, beach events lined up, here’s the complete schedule
Mangaluru: This year’s Karavali Utsava will commence on December 20, with a wide range of cultural, adventure, and tourism-focused programs planned across Mangaluru and other parts of the Dakshina Kannada district, Deputy Commissioner Darshan H.V. said.
He was speaking while presiding over a Karavali Utsava preparedness review meeting held at the District Commissioner’s office.
The main event will be held at the Karavali Utsava grounds in the city. In an effort to promote beach tourism, special programs will be organised at six beaches across the district, which include Panambur, Ullal, Someshwara, Sasihitlu, Tannirbhavi, and the Blue Flag Beach.
ALSO READ: Udupi: Toddler slips from mother's hand while drawing water from well, dies
Outlining the schedule, the Deputy Commissioner said adventure sports will be held at Sasihitlu Beach, while a wine, cheese, and cake festival will take place at the Tannirbhavi Blue Flag Beach.
A music festival and triathlon are planned at Tannirbhavi Beach. Football, volleyball and other sports events will be organised at Ullal Beach, cultural programs at Panambur Beach, and a music evening and yoga program at Someshwara Beach.
In addition, food festivals featuring a variety of local and regional cuisines will be held at all beaches. The Kala Parba program and a flower and floriculture exhibition will be organised at Kadri Park, while a film festival is also planned in Mangaluru city.
A football tournament will be held at Nehru Maidan on December 27 and 28, and special programs will be organised at Pilikula Nisargadhama. To attract tourists, helicopter joyrides have also been arranged, the Deputy Commissioner said.
The review meeting was attended by Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Narvade Vinayak Karbari, Mangaluru Deputy Divisional Officer Meenakshi Arya, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mithun H.N., Deputy Conservator of Forests Antony Mariappa, and other officials.
