2 Dead After Cargo Plane Veers Off Runway at Hong Kong Airport

Two individuals are lifeless after a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft touchdown at Hong Kong Worldwide Airport veered off the runway and into the ocean on Monday.

In line with an announcement from Hong Kong’s civil aviation division, the incident occurred at round 3:50 a.m. native time. The division mentioned the flight, which was arriving from Dubai’s Al Maktoum Worldwide Airport, had “deviated from the North Runway after touchdown and ditched into the ocean.”

Whereas skidding, the aircraft “crashed by way of the fencing” and collided with an airport safety patrol automotive, pushing the automotive into the ocean, mentioned Steven Yiu Siu-Chung, government director for Hong Kong’s airport operations, at a press convention on Monday.

Two safety workers members have been within the automotive. One was licensed lifeless on the touchdown website, whereas the opposite was declared lifeless at a hospital, Yiu mentioned.

Officers mentioned in the course of the Monday press convention that the patrol automobile had been a protected distance from the runway earlier than the collision.

Yiu mentioned the automotive was “exterior the fences” and patrolling a route across the airport’s northern coast, and “undoubtedly didn’t run out onto the runway.”

There had additionally been no misery sign from the cargo aircraft, Yiu added.

The 2 floor safety officers had labored on the airport for seven and 12 years respectively, Yiu mentioned.

4 crew members on board the cargo aircraft have been rescued and despatched to the hospital, a hearth service division consultant mentioned at Monday’s press convention.

In whole, 213 firefighters and emergency assist officers have been deployed, together with 45 automobiles and ships, per the fireplace service division.

Pictures have emerged from the touchdown website that present the aircraft’s physique in items, with the tail part separated from the fuselage.

The south and heart runways at Hong Kong’s airport stay operational, per Hong Kong’s airport authority. The north runway stays closed as of press time, however the over 1,000 flights scheduled to function at Hong Kong’s airport won’t be affected, per airport officers.

The incident is at present below investigation, officers mentioned on the Monday press convention.

Emirates confirmed in an announcement to Reuters that the aircraft’s crew are “confirmed to be protected,” and that there was no cargo on board.

Emirates didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from Enterprise Insider.