Hong Kong International Airport Cargo Plane Incident Results in Fatalities
Hong Kong – A cargo plane skidded off a runway at Hong Kong International Airport and ended up in the sea early Monday morning, resulting in the deaths of two airport ground staff.
The aircraft, emirates flight EK9788 – a Boeing 747-481 operated by Turkish cargo airline Air ACT – was arriving from Dubai at approximately 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT) when the incident occurred. The plane struck a vehicle on the north runway before leaving the paved surface.
According to a statement from the Civil aviation Department, two ground staff members were knocked into the water during the event. They were rescued and transported to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Local media,including RTHK,reported the deaths citing police sources.
All four crew members on board the plane survived and are receiving medical treatment at a hospital.
One runway remains closed following the accident, though the airport continues to operate using its two other runways. The Airport Authority has scheduled a press conference for 10:00 local time (02:00 GMT) to provide further details.
Rescue efforts involved helicopters from the Hong Kong Government Flying Service and vessels from the Fire Services Department. as of Monday, at least 11 cargo flights scheduled to arrive at the airport have been cancelled.
Hong Kong International Airport has historically maintained a strong safety record, making this incident a rare occurrence.
