Cargo aircraft skids off Hong Kong runway, killing 2 people

HONG KONG — A cargo aircraft skidded off a Hong Kong runway into the sea when landing early Monday, killing two people.

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The flight, arriving from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was landing at Hong Kong International Airport around 3:50 a.m., according to Hong Kong’s airport authority.

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Four crew members on the plane were rescued and taken to hospital. Initial reports from police said two people in an airport ground vehicle were dead.

The north runway of Hong Kong’s airport, one of Asia’s busiest, where the aircraft skidded off the runway, has been closed, authorities said. Two other runways at the airport continue to operate.

The Boeing 747 freighter is a Turkish air cargo carrier AirACT aircraft flying for Emirates SkyCargo, with the flight number EK9788. It was flying from Al Maktoum International Airport.

Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department said in a statement it was following up with the airline and other parties involved in the crash.