Two dead after cargo plane skids off runway in Hong Kong

A cargo aircraft operated for Emirates Airlines skidded into the sea after hitting a ground crew vehicle when landing at Hong Kong International Airport early Monday, killing two people.

The accident occurred about 3.50am Hong Kong time (6.50am AEDT) during challenging weather conditions. The four crew members on the plane, which had taken off in Dubai, were rescued and taken to the hospital, according to a statement from the Airport Authority Hong Kong.

The 32-year-old Boeing 747 was part-submerged close to the runway.

Two people are confirmed dead, Hong Kong police said. At least one is thought to be an airport worker.

One of the three runways at the airport – one of the busiest in Asia – has temporarily closed.

A photo posted by AirNavRadar showed a partially submerged Boeing 747 with its rear, including the tailfin, missing. The flight tracking service didn’t say where it got the photo from, and Bloomberg News couldn’t immediately verify its contents.

The 32-year-old plane was flown by Turkish freight carrier AirACT on behalf of Emirates from Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport, with the flight code EK9788. Neither airline was immediately available for comment outside of normal business hours.

The accident would mark one of the most serious in the airport’s 27-year history. In 1999, three people died when a China Airlines flight crashed while landing during a typhoon and flipped upside down.

Monday’s accident echoes another China Airlines accident at the city’s old Kai Tak Airport when a 747 overran the runway during typhoon conditions. The jet was submerged in water beyond the end of the runway, with around two dozen passengers and crew injured.

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