Alert staff save Afghan child at IGI airport

New Delhi: A three-year-old Afghan girl had a miraculous escape today when she playfully jumped on a moving dispatch conveyor belt and carried away to the first level of baggage handling system, but was saved by a house-keeping staff at the Terminal 3 of the IGI airport. Zohra, who along with her parents was to board Kabul-bound Kam Air flight RQ 116, strayed from her parents and climbed on to the dispatch conveyor on Row K at the departure level around 1.32pm, an airport official said. [caption id=“attachment_243025” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“IGI Airport in New Delhi. Reuters”] [/caption] She was carried to the level-1 of the baggage handling system with the belt. Seeing this, housekeeping staff Kanhaiya Jha, who was standing near the check-in counter, jumped on to the moving belt, the official said. “Operations staff on duty immediately stopped the belt and the child was safely brought out from the initial level (Level-1) of baggage handling system under Jha’s protective care,” the official said. The child taken for a medical check-up, where doctor on duty declared her ‘fit to fly’. The toddler was later reunited with her parents, who thanked Jha, and subsequently they boarded the flight. “Jha was rewarded for his bravery and selfless attitude,” a Delhi International Airport Limited spokesperson said. PTI