Two ground staff killed at Hong Kong airport after cargo plane and vehicle go into the sea

HONG KONG — Two people were killed Monday when a cargo plane skidded off a runway at Hong Kong International Airport after it struck a ground service vehicle, sending both the plane and the vehicle into the sea, officials said.

The two ground staff members died when the plane collided with the airport security patrol car they were in and pushed it into the water, said Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at the Hong Kong Airport Authority.

A Fire Services Department official told reporters that the two people killed were a 41-year-old security patrol vehicle driver who had worked at the airport for 12 years and a 30-year-old security guard who had worked there for seven years.

“We are deeply saddened and extend our deepest condolence,” Yiu said. “We will provide the family with all necessary support and assistance.”

The accident occurred around 3:50 a.m. (3:50 p.m. ET Sunday) when Emirates Flight 9788, arriving from Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, veered off the runway and “crashed through the fencing and into the sea,” Yiu said.

The four crew members on board the plane, a Boeing 747 freighter, were rescued and sent to the hospital. The Fire Services Department said they appeared to be uninjured.

Yiu said the aircraft did not send out any distress signals or other requests for assistance before landing, and that the cause of the accident is still under investigation. He said the weather and runway were safe at the time and met all the conditions for runway operation.

Man Ka Chai, chief accident and safety investigator at the Air Accident Investigation Authority, said authorities were searching for the plane’s two “black boxes” — flight data recorders — and that the investigation would examine aircraft maintenance, flight operation and weather, among other aspects.

Emirates did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment before the start of business hours in Dubai, where the airline is based.

Emirates told The Associated Press the plane was wet-leased and operated by Turkey-based ACT Airlines. In a wet lease, the company supplying the plane also provides the crew, maintenance and insurance. Emirates said no cargo was on board.

ACT Airlines also did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

The North Runway at Hong Kong International, one of the busiest airports in the world, is closed because of the accident, Yiu said, while the South and Center Runways remain operational. He said he did not expect any impact on the approximately 1,000 passenger flights scheduled for Monday.