In the dead of night, an Emirates Boeing 747 cargo plane, flight EK9788 from Dubai, skidded off the north runway at Hong Kong International Airport around 3:50 am, crashing into the sea and hitting a ground vehicle.
The flight had been routine until the dramatic skid, which authorities say occurred under safe weather and runway conditions.
“The weather and runway were safe,” authorities stated, as reported by local media.
Rescue teams sprang into action, saving all four crew members, but the two men in the vehicle—a 30-year-old who died at the scene and a 41-year-old who succumbed in hospital—could not be saved, prompting widespread shock among airport staff and the public.
This tragedy at one of Asia’s busiest airports serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by ground crew, urging better safety measures in aviation.
Sources: South China Morning Post, AFP
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