Congo police fatally shoot stowaway
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BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (Reuters) -- Airport police shot dead a teenager as he tried to hide in the undercarriage of an Air France plane waiting to take off from Republic of Congo, police officials said on Saturday.
Police at the airport in the capital Brazzaville ordered the boy, aged about 15, to stop but he carried on towards the plane. They then opened fire, killing him.
Local television showed the body, dressed in trousers, a T-shirt and sandals, lying on the runway. The dead teenager was not carrying any identity papers.
Youths desperate to escape crippling poverty in African nations often dream of escaping to Europe. Many risk their lives by undertaking perilous journeys by air and sea.
Brazzaville's Maya-Maya airport is built next to impoverished neighbourhoods in the run-down city. The runways are surrounded by grass, making it easy for people to hide and wait for planes to pass.
Last October, a young man hid in the landing gear of another Air France plane from Brazzaville, but he died of cold during the flight and his body was found on arrival in Paris.
The case caused controversy after it was revealed that the pilot was told shortly after take-off that someone was probably hiding in the undercarriage but he decided to continue the six-hour-plus flight to the French capital.
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