A 13-year-old boy from Kunduz, Afghanistan, managed to sneak into Kabul airport early Sunday morning. He followed a group of passengers and hid inside the rear wheel well of a KAM Air flight, carrying only a “small red-coloured audio speaker.”

The boy reportedly wanted to travel to Iran, but mistakenly boarded a flight bound for Delhi, India. He remained hidden in the aircraft’s landing gear compartment for more than 90 minutes before landing safely at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport around 10.20 am.

Airport staff noticed the boy, dressed in a white kurta-pyjama, wandering inside the terminal and informed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

“Upon inquiry, it turned out that he hid in the rear central landing gear compartment (rear wheel well) of the aircraft. He is from Kunduz city, Afghanistan. Subsequently, an aircraft security check was conducted by the airline’s security and engineering staff, during which a small red-coloured audio speaker was found in the rear landing gear area,” the CISF said in a statement.

The boy was handed over to immigration officials for questioning. Later in the evening, he was sent back to Kabul on the return KAM Air flight at 4 pm.

Aviation experts say that the wheel well of an aircraft is one of the most dangerous places for a human to hide. Commercial planes usually fly at altitudes between 30,000 and 40,000 feet, where the temperature can drop to -50°C. Unlike the pressurised cabin, this space has little oxygen and no heating, making survival extremely difficult.