HINGKONG: At least two people have died after an Emirates cargo aircraft overshot the runway and crashed into the sea while landing at Hong Kong International Airport early Monday morning.
The Boeing 747-400, operating as flight EK9788 and leased by Emirates from ACT Airlines, a Turkish cargo operator, had arrived from Dubai when it lost control just before 4 a.m. local time.
Airport authorities said the plane struck a ground vehicle during landing, sending both the aircraft and the car off the runway and into the water. Two airport workers in the vehicle were killed — one at the scene and another later in hospital.
All four crew members aboard the aircraft survived and were taken to hospital for treatment. Images from the crash site showed the jumbo jet partially submerged near the airport’s sea wall, with its inflatable escape slide deployed and the fuselage broken in two.
An Emirates spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying, “Crew are confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo onboard.” The aircraft, built 32 years ago, was previously used as a passenger jet before being converted for freight operations, according to flight tracking data cited by Reuters.
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the cause of the crash, as operations at the busy airport temporarily slowed amid recovery efforts.
