A dead child has been discovered in the landing gear of a plane at a French airport, according to local reports.

The aircraft had travelled to Paris Charles de Gaulle from Abidjan in Ivory Coast, Air France said.

The carrier said that “the lifeless body of a stowaway“ was found in the landing-gear compartment of one of its planes.

The person who died was about 10 years old, according to local media, although Air France declined to comment on reports that the stowaway was a child.

The victim was a young African who has not yet been identified, a French police official said.

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The official said such attempts to hide in planes are very rare and nearly impossible to survive, given the extremely cold temperatures, oxygen deprivation and the risk of being crushed by retracting landing gear.

The body was found onboard flight AF703, which had left the west African country on 7 January, Air France said.

The airline expressed its “deepest sympathy and compassion for this human tragedy” and said an investigation has been launched.

His possessions were later found in the landing gear of the aircraft.