A cargo plane has skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport and landed in the sea – here's the latest from officials
The plane crashed through fencing and hit a patrol car which was travelling outside of the runway, killing two ground staff, authorities say
The Boeing 747-481 was broken in half and part of it has landed in the sea – here are the latest pictures
Four crew members onboard the plane survived and were rescued
The Emirates flight EK9788 was arriving from Dubai at about 03:50 local time – here's what we know about the flight
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
This video can not be played
Watch: Wreckage of cargo plane seen at Hong Kong International Airport
Edited by Tessa Wong and Stuart Lau, with reporting by Martin Yip in Hong Kong and Koh Ewe in Singapore
Two airport security personnel were killed after their vehicle was pushed into the sea by a cargo plane at Hong Kong International Airport in the early hours of Monday.
Here's what we know:
We're pausing our live coverage now, but you can get the latest in this news story. Thank you for joining us.
Here's the latest footage from Chek Lap Kok, the area where the Hong Kong International Airport is located – showing the wreckage of the cargo plane that skidded off the runway and killed two ground staff.
This video can not be played
Maura Fogarty
Business editor
Hong Kong is the world’s busiest airport for cargo.
In 2024, 4.9m metric tonnes of air cargo moved through the airport, according to Airports Council International – that’s 30% more than the second place airport, Shanghai Pudong.
Hong Kong has long been an important gateway between mainland China and the world since British colonial days.
With its proximity to China’s southern manufacturing hub in Shenzhen, the airport handles time-sensitive shipments, especially in consumer electronics, pharmaceuticals and fast fashion.
A third-runway for both cargo and passenger flights just became operational at the end of last year. Airport officials said earlier this year that growth in air cargo shipments has been driven by traffic to and from Europe and the Middle East.
Martin Yip
BBC News Chinese, in Hong Kong
Hong Kong airport and rescue officials have stressed that while an investigation is underway, they are convinced that the airport – one of the world's busiest and safest – was not at fault.
Earlier at the press conference, a reporter asked if it was possible an air traffic controller might have given wrong instructions.
Pointing to a map of the runway, Steven Yiu, who leads airport operations at the Hong Kong Airport Authority, said that "this was not a normal route".
Yiu explained that there are signs guiding planes to exit the runway – Runway 07L in this case. According to international standards, these signs should be illuminated when it's dark. There is no indication at this stage that those signs were not switched on.
Correct instructions were given to the cargo plane, officials stressed.
Yiu also told reporters that the patrol car was outside of the runway fence, meaning this was not a runway intrusion.
Authorities say investigations are still underway and they have not ruled out a criminal probe.
Using Flightradar information, our colleagues at BBC visual journalism have mapped out the path taken by the cargo plane moments before it crashed into the sea.
Hong Kong's Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) has expressed "deep concern" about the incident.
"The TLB is saddened by the loss of two ground staff members in the accident and extends its deepest condolences to their families," the bureau said in a statement.
Authorities would investigate the cause of the accident and ensure the safety of airport operations, the statement said.
Martin Yip
BBC News Chinese, in Hong Kong
The crash happened at 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT), according to the Hong Kong government. The early hours of the morning are usually a busy time for cargo flight movements at this airport.
The Hong Kong International Airport was the world's busiest air cargo hub in 2024. Just in September it reported some 429,000 tonnes of traffic, 5.6% up from last year.
Aviation has long been an important gateway to the world for the city since its British colonial era. Local authorities have just marked the centenary of Hong Kong's airport development recently.
The press conference has just ended. Here's what we've learnt:
Stick with us for more updates.
Onto the last question. A reporter asks if the plane had turned in the wrong direction.
"Normally the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea," Yiu says. "No matter how it taxies, the plane … is guided on which direction to go.
"This was not a normal route," he adds, referring to the plane's eventual path.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu has just been asked about the next phase of removing the wreckage of the plane from the sea.
YIu says: "We're in contact with the airline, as well as the owner of the plane. They're all rushing over to Hong Kong.
"As soon as they arrive, we will consult with them on how best to quickly remove the wreckage."
An official from the Hong Kong Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) says they're now trying to locate the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder – also known as the black boxes – from the sea.
The investigation speed "depends on when we'll find the black boxes," an official said.
The plane did not send distress signal when it was landing, says Yiu.
He also says that authorities have no further information to offer on this point, as the investigation is underway.
The vehicle, according to officials, was at a "safe distance from the runway" before it was hit by the plane.
"It was responsible for patrol over the northern coast of the airport," says airport operations executive director Steven Yiu. "And it was outside the fences" and on the road outside of the runway.
It "definitely did not run out onto the runway", he adds.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu is now answering questions from reporters.
He says that the "runway condition was safe" during the time of the incident and met all conditions for operations.
He adds that the south and centre runway are operational. "We do not expect any impact to [today's] operation," he says
The north runway, where the accident happened, will be closed and only reopened after a safety assessment.
The fire services department has now given an update.
According to the official, fire staff arrived at the scene within two minutes after receiving the report at 03:55 local time.
They found a plane broken into two parts, half afloat.
The four Emirates crew broke open the door awaiting rescue when they arrived.
In total, 213 firefighters and first aid officers were deployed, alongside 45 vehicles and ships.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu is breaking down the sequence of events leading up to the deadly incident at the Hong Kong airport runway.
The plane went off the runway upon landing and "crashed through the fencing", he says.
"Unfortunately an airport security patrol car was there at that time. The aircraft collided with the patrol car and pushed the car into the sea", he says.
Four aircraft crew on board were quickly rescued.
Steven Yiu Siu-Chung, executive director for airport operations, says the weather was fit for operation during the time of the accident.
The official adds that the two dead ground staff had seven and 12 years' experience.
No other flights are affected today, Yiu says.
Hong Kong airport authorities have started their press conference addressing the deadly cargo plane crash this morning.
We will be posting updates here, and you can also watch it live by playing the video at the top of the page.
Emirates has confirmed to the BBC in a statement that flight EK9788 "sustained damage" on landing at the Hong Kong airport.
"Crew are confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo onboard," the statement said.
The statement also said the Boeing 747 cargo aircraft was "wet leased from, and operated, by Act Airlines".
A wet lease is an arrangement where one airline providers the aircraft, crew, insurance among other things to another airline.
The plane, a Boeing 747-481 (BDSF), was originally a passenger aircraft that was converted into a freighter.
It's more than 30 years old, having taken its first flight in 1993, according to aircraft tracking site Airfleets.
Over the years it has been used by different airlines including Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Saudi Arabian Airlines (now known as Saudia), Airfleets data shows.
On Monday, it was being operated as Emirates SkyCargo Flight 9788. It took off from Dubai on Sunday and arrived at Hong Kong International Airport around 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT).
Air ACT has another Boeing 747 in its fleet, according to flight tracking platform Flightradar24.
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