Two people were killed after a cargo plane landing in Hong Kong collided with a ground vehicle and slid into the sea before dawn on Monday, authorities said.

A Boeing 747 cargo plane arriving from the United Arab Emirates “deviated from the North Runway after landing and ditched into the sea”, Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department said in a press release.

“Preliminary information indicates that the four crew members on board were rescued and sent to hospital, while two ground staff were affected and fell into the sea,” the department added.

A cargo plane submerged in the sea after sliding off the runway upon landing at Hong Kong International Airport early on Monday, October 20, 2025.

The plane is thought to have struck a ground vehicle, which also fell into the sea, authorities said.

A man aboard the ground vehicle, aged 30, was confirmed dead at the scene while a 41-year-old man died after being rushed to hospital.

The airport’s north runway was temporarily closed on Monday morning, while the other two runways remain operational.

The crash happened before an International Air Transport Association symposium due to start in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Aviation world leaders are expected to attend the symposium.

Meanwhile, passengers on a Cathay Pacific flight from Auckland to Hong Kong on Sunday were told a typhoon was “heading in the general direction of China”.

The pilot said the typhoon was in the Philippines at the time and he planned to give it a wide berth.

The South China Morning Post today reported the aircraft was leased from and operated by ACT Airlines, a Turkish operator.

An Emirates spokesperson told the SCMP the crew were confirmed safe and there was no cargo on board.

- Agence France-Presse. Additional reporting: NZ Herald