Police are investigating the death of a man after it was believed that he fell from a British Airways 747 bound for Heathrow.
Two stowaways were believed to have spent an 11 hour flight from South Africa holding onto the undercarriage of the airliner, but on tragically fell from the plane as it came in to land in London.
The other stowaway managed to survive their ordeal, despite reportedly having to endure temperatures of -50c.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “Police were called at approximately 09:35 on Thursday 18 June to Kew Road, Richmond, to reports of a body discovered.
“Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and found body of dead male on the roof of a business premises.”
They added: “The death is currently being treated as unexplained. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the male's identity. No arrests have been made.”
The condition of the surviving stowaway remains ‘serious’ according to the police force.
The spokesman continued: “We were alerted to reports of a suspected stowaway on a flight from Johannesburg to Heathrow.
“A man, aged between 25 and 30 years, has been taken to a west London hospital. His condition remains serious. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the man’s identity.”
A spokesperson for British Airways has described the case as ‘very rare’.