At around 3:50 a.m. on October 20, a Boeing 747-400 cargo plane (flight number UAE9788) arriving from Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport veered off the north runway after landing at Hong Kong International Airport and plunged into the sea after breaking through a perimeter fence.

The aircraft broke into two sections, with its wings severely damaged. All four crew members evacuated safely via the emergency slide and were unharmed.

However, an airport ground vehicle located outside the runway area was struck during the incident, sending its two occupants into the water. One was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other later died in hospital. The victims were two male patrol staff members, aged 41 and 30.

The Air Accident Investigation Authority has classified the incident as an “accident” and launched a full investigation in accordance with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations and international aviation safety standards.

Search efforts for the aircraft’s black boxes are still underway, and the cause of the crash will be announced following further analysis.