Zimbabwe releases US-registered plane carrying unidentified body

Officials say suspected stowaway died from lack of oxygen as plane leaves for South Africa after officials found ‘nothing suspicious’ in cargo.

Zimbabwe on Saturday released a US-registered cargo plane and the unidentified body of a suspected stowaway that was found onboard last Sunday, saying the cause of death was lack of oxygen.

National police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told reporters that the MD11 cargo plane, owned by Florida-based Western Global Airlines, its crew, the man’s body and cash belonging to South Africa’s central bank had left for South Africa.

The body was discovered by Zimbabwean aviation officials when the plane landed in Harare after failing to land in Durban, South Africa, Charamba said.

Questions remain about the origins of the man. The cargo plane had for three days travelled from Belgium to Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Uganda and Germany, after which it landed in Harare.

Charamba said a pathologist had found no internal or external injuries on the body.

“The cargo has been released to the crew after it was established that there is nothing suspicious,” said Charamba. “Nothing from the international law obliges Zimbabwe to be responsible for the burial, cremation or any disposal of the body.”