An investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding how a deceased Nigerian stowaway got into a wheel well of a plane.
The stowaway was found dead in the wheel well of a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 777 (registered PH-BQM) flight from Lagos, South West Nigeria on Monday.
The discovery of the deceased, according to reports, has raised questions about how and when the man was able to climb into the aircraft, which originated from Lagos, Nigeria.
The discovery of this deceased stowaway highlights the need for increased security measures and thorough inspections of aircraft before departure to prevent such incidents from occurring.
Meanwhile, the Royal Dutch in reaction through its spokesperson, Marechaussee, said that stowaways in wheel wells of aircraft face extreme temperatures that can drop to as low as minus fifty degrees during longer flights.
According to him, this makes survival virtually impossible, and hypothermia is likely to be a contributing factor in this case.
He said: “Sometimes they survive, but most of the time it goes wrong given the sharp drop in temperature. On longer flights, temperatures can go down to minus fifty degrees, impossible to survive.”
Despite the risks, some stowaways still attempt to use this method to travel without proper documentation or authorization, often seeking a better life or escaping difficult situations in their home countries.
