Authorities have been providing a news conference after a cargo plane skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport, plunged into the sea and left two persons dead
The Boeing 747-481 hit a vehicle on the north runway and skidded into the sea, where it is still floating, broken in half.
The airport operations director said
two people have been confirmed killed, they were experienced ground staff
By some stroke of luck, four crew members onboard the plane survived
The Emirates flight EK9788 was arriving from Dubai at about 03:50 local time , before it experienced the mishap.
The north runway is closed, but the airport’s other two runways are operational
This is the second ever deadly incident at the current Hong Kong airport since its opening in 1998
Two airport security personnel, aged 30 and 41, were killed after their patrol car was pushed into the sea by the cargo plane
The plane had gone off the runway upon landing and crashed through the fencing, colliding with the patrol car which was outside the runway
The plane had broken into two parts, and its four crew members broke open the door before they were rescued from the sea
The plane had not sent any distress signals when it was landing. Investigators are now trying to locate the plane’s black boxes from the seaThe runway condition was deemed safe for operations at the time of the incident
The north runway, where the accident happened, has been closed. It will only be reopened after a safety assessment
Airport operations will not be impacted, however. The south and central runways remain operational
Airport officials are in discussions with the airline about removing the plane wreckage from the sea
