Hong Kong – Early Monday morning, a cargo aircraft skidded off the north runway at Hong Kong International Airport and plunged into the sea, killing two airport security personnel and leaving the aircraft partially submerged.
The incident occurred at approximately 3:50 a.m. (local time) when a Emirates SkyCargo-leased Boeing 747‑400 freighter operated by ACT Airlines landed from Dubai and subsequently veered off the runway. The aircraft broke through perimeter fencing, struck a security patrol vehicle outside the runway fence, and both ended up in the adjacent waters.
All four crew members on board the plane survived and were rescued; the two men killed were inside the patrol car and were pulled from the submerged vehicle by divers. One died at the scene and the other later in hospital.
Authorities confirmed the patrol vehicle was in its normal operating position and did not enter the runway. The aviation regulator has launched an investigation into what caused the aircraft’s deviation after landing.
The north runway has been closed temporarily pending safety inspections, though the airport’s other runways remain operational and flight services are reportedly unaffected.