Two ground staff have been confirmed dead after a cargo plane belonging to Emirates Airlines skidded off the runway and plunged into the sea at Hong Kong International Airport early Monday morning.
The Boeing 747-481 cargo aircraft, operating as Flight EK9788 from Dubai, veered off the runway at about 03:50 local time and collided with an airport patrol vehicle. The four crew members onboard the aircraft survived the crash.
Authorities said “the two victims, aged 30 and 41, were inside the patrol vehicle at the time of the collision. Their bodies were later recovered by divers.”
Hong Kong’s Airport Authority described the incident as one of the city’s deadliest aviation accidents in recent years, noting that “the airport has maintained a strong safety record.”
The Executive Director of Airport Operations, Steven Yiu, explained that “the patrol vehicle was travelling outside the runway’s fencing when the aircraft suddenly turned off course, broke through the barrier, and hit the vehicle, pushing it into the sea.”
“Normally, the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea,” Yiu said, adding that the aircraft did not send out any distress signal during landing.
An Emirates spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft, which was wet-leased from Turkish carrier ACT Airlines, “sustained damage on landing,” but noted that there was no cargo onboard and that all crew members were safe.
The Hong Kong Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) has commenced an investigation and is searching for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.
One of the airport’s three runways remains closed following the incident, leading to the cancellation of at least 11 cargo flights scheduled for Monday.
The Hong Kong Transport Bureau expressed sadness over the deaths and extended condolences to the families of the deceased.
The crash is the second fatal incident at Hong Kong International Airport since it relocated from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok in 1998.
BBC/Jide Johnson.