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A cargo plane has slid off the runway into the sea while attempting to land at Hong Kong International Airport, leaving two people dead on the ground.
The incident occurred around 3:50am local time (8:50pm UK time) and involved a Boeing 747 freighter operated by AirACT. Images from the scene showed the aircraft partially submerged near the airport’s seawall, with its nose and tail sections separated and emergency slides deployed.
The plane had arrived from Dubai, and all four crew members on board survived. However, two airport security staff were killed when the plane hit their vehicle, pushing it into the sea, according to Steven Yiu, Executive Director of Airport Operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong.
Mr. Yiu said that firefighters rescued the crew and the two security personnel from the water, but one was pronounced dead at the scene and the other died in hospital. “We are deeply saddened and extend our condolences to the families,” he said, adding that the airport authority would support the victims’ families.
The northern runway of the airport — one of the world’s busiest cargo hubs — has been closed, while the south and central runways remain operational. Yiu noted that both weather conditions and the runway surface were normal at the time of landing, and an investigation is underway.
Emirates, which leased the plane from ACT Airlines, confirmed the aircraft was a Boeing 747 freighter operating as flight EK9788 and that no cargo was on board. The airline said all crew members were safe.
ACT Airlines, a Turkish cargo carrier providing extra capacity to major airlines, has yet to comment. Flight-tracking site FlightRadar24 reported that the 32-year-old aircraft was originally built as a passenger jet before being converted into a cargo plane.
Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department said it is coordinating with the airline and relevant authorities as part of the ongoing investigation.
