Cargo plane skids off HK runway, kills 2

HONG KONG:

A cargo plane veered off a runway on Monday during landing in Hong Kong, hit a security patrol car and then skidded into the sea, leaving two men in the vehicle dead, authorities said.

Officials said an investigation would aim to determine what caused the Boeing aircraft to leave the tarmac at Hong Kong International Airport, the world's busiest for cargo last year, according to an industry ranking.

The plane's damaged fuselage was left partly submerged in the seawater that borders the airport, with its emergency evacuation slides extended, following one of the most serious incidents since the airport began operations in 1998.

Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the cargo plane from Dubai "went off from the north runway upon landing and crashed through the fence and into the sea".

A 30-year-old man aboard the ground vehicle was confirmed dead at the scene while another, aged 41, died after being rushed to hospital. Both men were retrieved from the sunken car by divers around five metres from the shore.

Emirates airlines said the involved plane was on a temporary short-term, or "wet", lease from the Istanbul-headquartered Act Airlines, which operated the aircraft. Emirates added the plane's crew were confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo on board. AFP