Emirates cargo plane slides off Hong Kong runway, killing 2 ground crew

A United Arab Emirates cargo plane slid off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport and into the sea early Monday, killing two ground crew members, local officials said.

After landing at the airport's north runway, flight UAE9788 deviated from the runway and skidded into the sea about 3:50 a.m., Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department said in a statement. The aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 cargo plane, was arriving from Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the statement said.

Two ground crew members fell into the sea when the plane did, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Police Department said. One of them died at the scene and another died on his way to the hospital, she said.

The police department was working to determine how exactly the two men fell into the sea, the spokesperson said.

The four crew members aboard the plane were rescued and taken to a hospital, authorities said.

The airport's north runway has been temporarily closed, the Civil Aviation Department said. Photos from the scene show the plane partially submerged in the water.

The Civil Aviation Department said that an investigation was underway.

UAE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.