According to Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department, the aircraft flight EK9788 from Dubai landed on the airport’s northern runway at around 3:50 a.m. local time before veering off the tarmac, breaking through the perimeter fence, and ending up partially submerged in the sea near the airport’s seawall.

Dramatic photos taken after the accident showed the aircraft’s fuselage split into sections, with its nose and tail separated, and an emergency slide deployed.

The four crew members on board were rescued and are reported to be safe. One ground vehicle carrying two staff members was struck during the incident, leaving both men dead, police confirmed.

Emirates said in a statement that the plane was a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft wet-leased from ACT Airlines, a Turkish carrier that provides extra freight capacity to other airlines. The airline added that “crew are confirmed safe and there was no cargo onboard.”

Airport authorities temporarily closed the northern runway to allow rescue and recovery operations, while confirming that the south and central runways would remain open and that flight schedules would not be significantly affected.

The Hong Kong Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) has launched an inquiry to determine what caused the aircraft to veer off course. Officials said weather and runway conditions were normal at the time of the landing, and no distress call had been received from the crew before the crash.

The plane, reportedly over 30 years old and converted from a passenger jet to a freighter, is believed to be one of the oldest Boeing 747s still in operation. Aviation experts say the accident marks one of the most serious incidents at Hong Kong International Airport in more than two decades.

Authorities have begun recovering debris from the sea as part of the investigation, while operations at one of the world’s busiest cargo hubs slowly return to normal.