Fuselage of cargo plane lifted from sea; salvage operations set to conclude by Mon

Salvage operations at Hong Kong International Airport have entered the final stage following last week's fatal cargo plane crash that killed two ground staff when an Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 747-400 freighter veered off the runway and struck a security patrol vehicle, pushing it into the sea.

The fuselage of the aircraft was lifted out of the water at 7.37pm on Sunday after a salvage vessel deployed steel cables to secure the fuselage from four sides.

The Guangzhou Salvage Bureau team, which led the operation, successfully hoisted the largest section of the wreckage – the fuselage with its nose attached – and later transferred the part to a barge to be handled by the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA).

The team will continue to salvage the rest of the aircraft on Monday and expects to complete all salvage work by Monday evening.

The team had already brought up the patrol vehicle and the aircraft's engines, landing gear, and tail section in the past days.

The Air Accident Investigation Authority said it will carefully examine the components and expects to release an initial report within a month.