(Yicai) Oct. 20 -- A cargo plane operated by Emirates Airlines that was traveling from Dubai to Hong Kong overshot the north runway at Hong Kong International Airport when landing this morning and plunged into the sea, resulting in the deaths of two ground personnel.

Emirates confirmed to Yicai that flight EK9788 was wet-leased from Act Airlines, meaning both the aircraft and the crew were rented from the Turkish cargo airline. The plane was a Boeing 747-400 freighter with the flight number UAE9788. The crew on board are all safe, and the plane was not carrying any cargo at the time.

The accident happened around 3.50 a.m. local time, according to the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The aircraft did not send any distress signals while landing. All four crew members on board were unharmed but the plane hit a coastal patrol vehicle, tragically killing two security personnel.

A 30-year-old security officer on the patrol vehicle was confirmed dead at the scene, while another officer in his 40s was rushed to hospital but was later pronounced dead, according to local media reports.

The Boeing 747-400 cargo aircraft has broken in half and is partially submerged. Half of the fuselage is underwater while the other half is floating on the surface. Salvage operations and cleanup operations are underway.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation. The recovery of the aircraft will commence once the black box is located.

Hong Kong Airport’s north runway is temporarily closed, and all flights have been diverted to the south and central runways. The Hong Kong Airport Authority said it expects the north runway to remain closed for an extended period, which may disrupt cargo operations and flight scheduling in the short term, potentially causing delays or the rerouting of cargo flights.

Editor: Kim Taylor