Two crew members were killed Monday morning after a cargo aircraft skidded off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport and plunged into the sea, authorities confirmed.
The incident occurred shortly before 6:00 a.m. local time, when Flight CZ8734, operated by China Southern Cargo, attempted to land amid heavy rain and low visibility. Witnesses described seeing the plane struggling to stabilize during its final approach before veering off the runway and breaking through the safety barriers at the end of Runway 25L.
The aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 freighter, came to rest partially submerged in the waters off the western edge of the airport. Emergency services, including airport fire and rescue units, responded within minutes. Divers and helicopters were deployed in a frantic effort to reach the crew trapped inside the wreckage.
Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department confirmed that four crew members were on board at the time of the crash. Two of them were pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two were rescued and taken to Princess Margaret Hospital, where they remain in serious but stable condition.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the loss of two of our crew members in this tragic accident,” China Southern Airlines said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with their families, and we are cooperating fully with authorities in the ongoing investigation.”
Officials have not yet identified the cause of the crash, but early indications suggest weather conditions may have played a role. Heavy rainfall and crosswinds were reported in the area around the time of landing. The Hong Kong Observatory had issued a thunderstorm warning and advised pilots to exercise extreme caution.
Flight operations at the airport were temporarily suspended for nearly three hours, affecting over 100 incoming and outgoing flights. Runway 25L remains closed as investigators from Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) examine the wreckage and analyze flight data.
“Safety is our top priority,” said Airport Authority CEO Vivian Cheung in a press briefing. “We are working closely with international aviation experts to determine exactly what went wrong.”
This marks the first fatal aviation accident involving a cargo plane at Hong Kong International Airport in over two decades. The last major incident occurred in 1999, when a cargo aircraft overran the same runway during a typhoon, though no fatalities were reported in that case.
Recovery efforts are expected to take several days due to the aircraft’s location and the ongoing adverse weather conditions. The names of the victims have not been released, pending notification of their families.
