Two people have died after a cargo plane veered off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport early on Monday morning, according to local media reports.

Emirates flight EK9788, arriving from Dubai at approximately 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT), went off the runway, collided with an airport patrol vehicle, and partially ended up in the sea, police told Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP).

Authorities reported that a male staff member in the ground patrol vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene, while another man later died at North Lantau Hospital.

The four crew members on board Emirates SkyCargo Flight EK9788 (UAE9788) escaped unharmed, police added, according to the media outlet.

As a result of the accident, the airport’s north runway has been temporarily closed. At least 11 cargo flights originally scheduled to arrive on Monday were canceled, according to the Airport Authority’s website.

Emirates stated that the aircraft had been leased from and operated by Act Airlines, a Turkish operator, and that no cargo was on board at the time of the incident.

The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department issued a statement confirming that a Boeing 747-400 cargo aircraft (flight number UAE9788) arriving from Al Maktoum International Airport in the UAE deviated from the north runway and skidded into the sea. Air traffic control immediately notified the Airport Authority and other rescue agencies.

Preliminary information indicates that the four crew members were rescued and transported to a hospital, while two ground staff members fell into the sea during the incident. The north runway remains closed, but the south and central runways continue to operate.

The Civil Aviation Department said it is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with relevant airport units, including the airlines involved. The department has also reported the incident to the Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Agency and is fully cooperating with the investigation into the cause of the accident.

Source: ANI