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Two airport security officers in Hong Kong were killed early Monday after a cargo jet arriving from Dubai veered off the runway during landing and slammed into a patrol vehicle, authorities said.
Both the car and the Boeing 747 – in what was Hong Kong’s worst airport disaster in decades – plunged into the sea, though all four crew members on board managed to escape unharmed, officials said.
The crash occurred at Hong Kong International Airport, the world’s busiest cargo hub, and involved a plane operated by Turkish freight carrier ACT Airlines on behalf of Emirates, the Dubai-based airline said.
The Hong Kong Airport Authority said the cargo flight, UAE9788, “was suspected to have lost control upon landing and veered off the North Runway” before it “crashed through the fence into the sea.”
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A Boeing 747-400 cargo aircraft is seen after it skidded off the runway into the sea on Oct. 20, 2025. (Daniel Ceng/Anadolu)
“At the time of the runway excursion, a patrol car from the Aviation Security Company Limited with two airport security staff was carrying out patrolling duty on the perimeter road outside the runway zone,” the authority said. “The patrol car fell into the waters after being hit by the aircraft.”
Images taken after the crash showed a cargo jet bearing AirACT markings partially submerged near the airport’s seawall, with an emergency slide deployed and its nose and tail sections torn apart. Emirates told Fox News Digital that the flight was not carrying cargo at the time of the incident.
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Rescue workers at the wreckage of an AirACT cargo aircraft operated for Emirates Airline near the runway at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (Leung Man Hei/Bloomberg)
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ACT Airlines said in a statement: “Unfortunately, we have been informed that the aircraft collided with a ground services vehicle, resulting in loss of two lives. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.”
The two airport security staff were unresponsive when pulled from the water, the airport authority said. One was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene, and the other died later at a hospital. At the time of the incident, the two airport security staff were keeping watch at a designated observation post in accordance with established procedures, officials said, adding that the two staff members had worked at the airport for seven and 12 years respectively.

The wreckage of an AirACT cargo aircraft operated for Emirates Airline near the runway at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (Leung Man Hei/Bloomberg)
“All four crew members on board have been confirmed to be in good health,” ACT Airlines said. Emirates added that the crew members were receiving medical attention and expressed condolences “to the families and colleagues of the two airport employees who lost their lives on the ground.”
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Man Ka-chai, Hong Kong’s chief accident and safety investigator, told Reuters that air traffic controllers had directed the flight to land on the north runway but had received no distress call from the pilot.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. ACT Airlines said it is cooperating fully with the probe, while Emirates added it remains ready to assist as needed.
The incident marks Hong Kong’s deadliest airport accident since 1999, when a China Airlines jet crashed on landing, killing three of the 315 people on board, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
Reuters contributed to this report.