Image source, Reuters

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:

• The Emirates flight EK9788, owned by Turkish cargo airline Air ACT, landed on the north runway at Hong Kong International Airport around 03:50 local time (19:50 GMT)
• It crashed through the airport fence and collided with a patrol car outside the runway, pushing the car into the sea. The two security staff in the car, aged 30 and 41, died from the incident
• The plane's body broke in half after it veered into the sea. The Boeing 747, more than 30 years old, was converted into a freighter from a passenger plane

• All four crew members aboard the plane were rescued and taken to hospital. They are "safe" and there was no cargo onboard, Emirates told the BBC
• Emirates also said the plane was operating on a wet lease by Air ACT - an arrangement where an airline provides the aircraft, crew and other services to another
• Hong Kong officials said the weather was fine during the incident and they had given the plane the correct instructions. The plane also didn't send any distress signals before landing, officials said
• Investigations are ongoing and authorities say they haven't ruled out a criminal probe
• This is only the second such deadly incident to happen at this Hong Kong Airport, the world's busiest cargo airport, since it started operations in 1998. In 1999 three people died after a China Airlines plane crash landed here during a typhoon

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.

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:

• Two airport security personnel, aged 30 and 41, were killed after their patrol car was pushed into the sea by the cargo plane
• The plane had gone off the runway upon landing and crashed through the fencing, colliding with the patrol car which was outside the runway
• The plane had broken into two parts, and its four crew members broke open the door before they were rescued from the sea
• The plane had not sent any distress signals when it was landing. Investigators are now trying to locate the plane's black boxes from the sea

• The runway condition was deemed safe for operations at the time of the incident
• The north runway, where the accident happened, has been closed. It will only be reopened after a safety assessment
• Airport operations will not be impacted, however. The south and central runways remain operational
• Airport officials are in discussions with the airline about removing the plane wreckage from the sea
• Police say they will not rule out criminal investigations into this incident

Stick with us for more updates.

Image source, Reuters

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.

Image source, Reuters

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.

Image source, Reuters

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.