Two Hong Kong airport security staff were killed when a cargo plane skidded off a runway, hit their patrol vehicle, and ploughed into the sea.
Emirates flight EK9788 was arriving from Dubai at about 03:50 local time on Monday (19:50 GMT on Sunday) when it veered off the runway, crashed through perimeter fencing, and collided with the vehicle, pushing it into the water.
The two people inside died. The Boeing 747 ended up partly submerged, but its four crew survived.
Officials are investigating the cause of the crash on the north runway. Two other runways remain operational. It is one of the deadliest aviation incidents in years at Hong Kong International Airport, which has a good safety record.
The investigation will focus on the unanswered questions over the path taken by the plane upon landing.
Airport officials have said they gave the correct instructions to the plane and that there were signs on the runway to guide aircraft.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu stated that the patrol car was, at the time, travelling on a road outside of the runway's fencing at a safe distance from the runway. However, the plane turned away from the runway, crashed through the fencing, and collided with the vehicle, pushing it into the sea.
Normally the plane is not supposed to turn towards the sea, Mr. Yiu said at a news conference hours after the incident, adding that the plane did not send out a distress signal while landing.
He emphasized that the airport patrol car definitely did not run out onto the runway. The investigation will look at the weather, runway conditions, the aircraft, and its crew.
Divers managed to locate the bodies of the patrol vehicle's driver and passenger. The two deceased ground staff were aged 30 and 41, and had seven and 12 years experience, respectively. Neither was breathing when recovered from the vehicle, which was five metres (16.4 feet) from the shore and seven meters underwater.
Hong Kong's transport bureau expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
An Emirates spokesperson confirmed that the plane sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong, adding that the crew was safe and there was no cargo onboard.
The four crew members onboard had opened the aircraft's emergency doors shortly after the crash and were rescued by fire service staff who arrived at the scene promptly.
Images show that the plane had broken in half, with part of the fuselage submerged in water. Part of the wings successfully deployed an emergency evacuation slide.
A police official noted that criminal investigations could not be ruled out. Authorities are also trying to locate the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the sea.
The affected runway will remain closed for the rest of the day, affecting scheduled flights, while the other two runways continue to operate. This incident marks the second deadliest episode at the airport since its opening in 1998.
