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Video: Cargo plane floats in sea after skidding off runway in Hong Kong; 2 dead
Visuals from the incident showed the plane partly in the water near the airport’s sea wall. The aircraft’s tail section appeared to have broken off.
Two people were reportedly killed after a cargo plane skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport and ended up in the sea on Monday. The Boeing 747 aircraft, operating under Emirates flight EK9788, was flying from Dubai and slid off the runway at around 3:50 am.
In a statement, the airport said that four crew members of the plane were rescued. However, two people who were in a ground vehicle near the runway have died, the South China Morning Post reported, citing police.
Visuals from the incident showed the plane partly in the water near the airport’s sea wall. The aircraft’s front section and cockpit were visible above the surface, but the tail section seemed to have broken off. Footage from the local media also showed fire engines on the runway along with rescue vehicles and boats.
Authorities said that the plane is believed to have hit a ground vehicle, which also fell into the sea. A 30-year-old man in the ground vehicle was confirmed dead at the scene, while another man, 41, died after being taken to a hospital, news agency AFP reported.
Emirates, in a statement, confirmed that the flight, EK9788, sustained damage during landing in Hong Kong. The airline said that the aircraft was a cargo plane leased from, and operated by, ACT Airlines.
“Emirates confirms that EK9788 which sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong on 20 October 2025 was a cargo aircraft wet leased from, and operated by, ACT Airlines. The aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 with registration TC-ACF, was not carrying cargo at the time of the incident," the statement said.
The airline said that all four crew members onboard have been confirmed safe and are receiving medical attention.
“Emirates extends our condolences to the families and colleagues of the two airport employees who lost their lives on the ground,” it added.
The incident took place on the north runway of Hong Kong’s airport, which is one of the busiest in Asia. Notably, the runway has been closed for now, while the other two runways at the airport are operational.
Hong Kong plane crash
In a statement, Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department said that the plane had “deviated from the north runway after landing and ditched into the sea.”
“Two ground staff were affected and fell into the sea, and their conditions are pending confirmation,” it added.
Meanwhile, Emirates said in a statement that their flight EK9788 suffered damage after landing in Hong Kong on Monday. "Crew are confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo onboard," it added.
Hong Kong’s civil aviation department has confirmed that it reported the incident to the Air Accident Investigation Authority and would help with the investigation.
