An Iraqi boy, 10, has left aviation authorities embarrassed after he boarded an Iran-bound plane on his own, despite several security checks at the busy airport.
The international airport in Najaf, south of Baghdad, said on Wednesday it would review security after the boy by-passed seven checks, AFP reported.
The boy was mixed in with large crowds of travellers, the report said.
He was only intercepted after boarding an Iran Air chartered aircraft, airport manager Hikmat Ahmed told AFP.
About five hours after his arrival at the airport on Monday night, "the plane crew contacted us about him", Mr Ahmed said.
"Anyone who failed in their duties will be sanctioned, fired or transferred" after an investigation, the official said.
A security source said his parents, who live in a district near the airport, had informed police of they boy's disappearance.
Iraq's civil aviation authority said a private company had since 2019 been in charge of security at Najaf airport, which receives hundreds of thousands of pilgrims a year.
"All legal procedures" would be taken against the company once the investigation has been completed, it said.
Millions of Iraqis have this week endured dust storms which have blanketed the country since April.
The government declared Monday a public holiday except for the health, security and services departments. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority also decided to suspend all flights until further notice.
Iraqi capital again hit by sandstorms — in pictures
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A man smokes a cigarette during a sandstorm in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters -
The sand or dust storm is the latest in a series of what Iraqis say is an unprecedented number to hit the country in recent weeks. Reuters -
Only a week ago, a similar sandstorm grounded planes at Baghdad International Airport and many schools and offices were forced to close. Reuters -
Hundreds of people across Baghdad and in southern cities went to hospital with breathing difficulties. AP -
At least one sandstorm a week has hit Iraq since last month. AP -
The enveloping orange haze of sand and dust tends to reduce visibility to a few hundred metres. AP -
Climate change is causing the sandstorms, many in Iraq believe. AP -
The country has been hit by soil degradation, intense drought and low rainfall linked to climate change. Reuters -
The proliferation of sandstorms has also been associated with overuse of river water, excessive building of dams, overgrazing and deforestation. EPA -
An Environment Ministry official said Iraq could face '272 days of dust' a year over the next two decades. EPA -
The supply of water has been declining for years, and Iraq is classified by the UN as one of the world's five countries most vulnerable to climate change and desertification. EPA -
Cars drive along a street at Kahraman Square shrouded in heavy dust in central Baghdad, but the going is slow. EPA -
A heavy dust storm in Nasiriyah, southern Iraq. AFP -
Cycling along a pedestrian bridge amid a Nasiriyah dust storm. AFP -
Bedouin shepherds during a sandstorm sweeping Iraq. AFP -
A traffic policeman directs the flow of cars as dust limits visibility in Nasiriyah. AFP -
Sheep herded by Bedouin shepherds near Najaf are almost hidden by a sandstorm. AFP -
A dusty walk in Baghdad. Reuters -
A statue of Arab poet Al-Mutanabbi during a sandstorm in Baghdad. Reuters
Flights had been resumed at all airports by Monday afternoon.
Iraq's Meteorological Authority said the country had been hit by an anticyclone coming from the eastern Mediterranean with wind speeds of between 40 and 50 kilometres per hour, lifting dust and sand from the vast expanses of desert in western and north-western parts of the country.
