Two security staff of the Hong Kong International Airport were killed in a cargo plane accident early on Monday.
The accident occurred at around 3:50 local time, when a B744 cargo aircraft (flight number UAE9788), arriving from Al Maktoum International Airport, United Arab Emirates, had deviated from the north runway after landing and collided with a security patrol vehicle, pushing it into the sea.
All four crew members aboard the cargo plane have been rescued and sent to hospital, but the two ground staff died after falling into water, according to the Airport Authority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).
Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority, said the weather was good all night, the runway was suitable for aircraft takeoff and landing, and the cargo plane did not send any distress signals beforehand.
The Airport Authority has initiated an emergency response center immediately after the accident, Yiu said, adding the north runway has been closed.
More than 1,000 planes are scheduled to take off or land at the airport on Monday, which have not been affected as the south and central runways remain operational, Yu said.
The Civil Aviation Department of the HKSAR government said it is paying close attention to this accident and is following up with the relevant airports and airlines. It has also reported the situation to the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) under the Transport and Logistics Bureau and is offering full assistance in the investigation of the cause of the accident.
A spokesperson for the bureau said that aviation safety is of paramount importance. The AAIA will actively investigate the cause of the accident, and the Civil Aviation Department and the Airport Authority will fully cooperate to ensure the safe operation of the airport, the spokesperson said.
Cargo plane accident kills two in Hong Kong
Cargo plane accident kills two in Hong Kong
The "soft landing" of the China-EU electric vehicle case will greatly boost market confidence and inject new momentum into China-EU cooperation in automobile trade and investment, a spokeswoman of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
He Yongqian, the spokeswoman, made the remarks after China and the European Union (EU) agreed on the necessity of providing general guidance on price undertakings for Chinese companies exporting battery electric vehicle (BEV) passenger cars to the EU.
"China and the EU simultaneously announced on Monday that they had achieved positive outcomes following multiple rounds of consultations on the EV case, a development that has drawn wide attention at home and abroad. Industry players from both sides have 'highly welcomed and fully endorsed' the outcome, saying the 'soft landing' of the case is expected to greatly boost market confidence and inject new momentum into China-EU cooperation in automobile trade and investment. Some EU politicians have described it as a positive step toward building a sustainable China-EU trade relationship, and said it demonstrated that resolving trade differences through partnership remains feasible," she said.
"Against the current international backdrop, China and the EU, acting in a spirit of mutual respect and within the framework of WTO rules, have properly addressed the EV case, which is of significant positive importance. The outcome will not only contribute to the sound development of China-EU economic and trade ties and help safeguard the stability of the global automotive industrial and supply chains, but will also send a clear and strong signal that both sides are willing to uphold a rules-based international trading order, setting a good example for countries to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation and injecting greater certainty and positive energy into global economic growth," she said.
"China appreciates the spirit of dialogue showed by the EU side and stands ready to work with the EU, building on the current positive outcomes, to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two sides, maintain dialogue and communication, and support stable industrial and supply chains on both sides, continue to deepen cooperation on the basis of market principles, and make active contributions to the global green transition," she added.
"Soft landing" of China-EU EV case to significantly boost market confidence: MOC spokeswoman
"Soft landing" of China-EU EV case to significantly boost market confidence: MOC spokeswoman
