Boeing 747 engine failure forces emergency landing in HK

An Air Atlanta Icelandic Boeing 747 cargo plane bound for Dubai was forced to turn back after its engine was said to have suddenly failed after take off on Thursday.

The Fire Services Department received a report of the incident at 3.21 pm, with the aircraft - a Boeing 747-48EF - said to have experienced an engine problem.

Airport firefighters were put on standby as the aircraft approached the airport. Fortunately, it landed safely at about 4 pm, with no injuries reported.

According to online sources, the aircraft circled over the southern waters of Hong Kong shortly after takeoff and started its way back to Hong Kong airport at 3.45 pm.

Meanwhile, foreign aviation sources indicated that the cargo had declared an emergency by using the transponder code 7700.

The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.