Hong Kong Airport Cargo Plane Skids Into the Sea: Two Fatalities Reported
Early Monday morning, a tragic aviation accident occurred at Hong Kong International Airport, claiming the lives of two individuals.
A Boeing 747 cargo aircraft operated by Emirates, during landing on the northern runway, overshot the runway, likely collided with ground vehicles, and plunged into the sea.
The incident happened around 3:50 AM local time.
According to preliminary police reports, the aircraft, flight EK9788 from Dubai, was unable to stop in time during landing and left the runway.
It then struck a nearby service vehicle before falling into the water.
As a result, two men aged 30 and 41, who were inside the vehicle, were killed.
Rescue services immediately launched a search operation, and by 5:55 AM, the body of the younger victim was recovered from the sea, with his death confirmed at the scene.
The older man was transported to North Lantau Hospital, where he was declared dead at 6:26 AM.
The rest of the cargo plane’s crew members were unharmed.
The crash caused significant disruptions at one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs.
The northern runway was closed promptly, leading to the cancellation of at least 12 cargo flights on Monday.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the causes of the crash.
A spokesperson from the Transport and Logistics Bureau emphasized that flight safety remains a top priority and that the Civil Aviation Department and Hong Kong International Airport authority are actively investigating the incident to ensure safe airport operations moving forward.