Body found in landing gear of Ivory Coast to France flight

The body of a stowaway was found in the landing gear of an Air France flight from Ivory Coast to Paris, the airline said Wednesday.

The lifeless body was found after Flight 703 left Abidjan on Tuesday and landed at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, the airline said in a statement, expressing its “deepest sympathy and compassion for this human tragedy.”

A French police official said the victim was a young African who hasn’t yet been identified, and that an investigation is underway. Such stowaway attempts are extremely rare, and nearly impossible to survive, the official said.

French media reported that the victim was a child migrant, though the official said it was too early to determine the the victim’s age. The official wasn’t authorized to be publicly named, according to police policy.

No other information was immediately available.