Hong Kong: Two dead after cargo plane skids off runway into sea – follow live

Martin Yip
BBC News Chinese, in Hong Kong

Hong Kong airport and rescue officials have stressed that while an investigation is underway, they are convinced that the airport – one of the world’s busiest and safest – was not at fault.

Earlier at the press conference, a reporter asked if it was possible an air traffic controller might have given wrong instructions.

Pointing to a map of the runway, Steven Yiu, who leads airport operations at the Hong Kong Airport Authority, said that “this was not a normal route”.

Yiu explained that there are signs guiding planes to exit the runway – Runway 07L in this case. According to international standards, these signs should be illuminated when it’s dark. There is no indication at this stage that those signs were not switched on.

Correct instructions were given to the cargo plane, officials stressed.

Yiu also told reporters that the patrol car was outside of the runway fence, meaning this was not a runway intrusion.

Authorities say investigations are still underway and they have not ruled out a criminal probe.