Stowaway Bodies Found After Three Days In Gear Well

Authorities in Colombia say an Avianca A320neo likely flew around South America for three days with the bodies of two stowaways in a gear well. The airline said it found the two, likely teenage boys, on Friday night when the plane went in for scheduled maintenance. “At its arrival to the El Dorado airport in Bogota, personnel from the airline discovered the bodies of two people who flew irregularly (stowaways) in the undercarriage of the airplane,” Avianca said in a statement.

The airline said they also found documents and money suggesting the boys were from the Dominican Republic. The last time the plane was there was Jan. 3. The airline added that the bodies had been frozen and were partially thawed and that one had burns. Authorities in both countries are working to identify the pair and to notify next of kin.