Bus crash at Hong Kong Airport injures 18 passengers

A double-decker bus heading to Hong Kong International Airport slammed into a roadside planter near Terminal 1 on Saturday afternoon, injuring at least 18 people and delaying traffic for hours.

The Citybus A12 service lost control around 3pm while approaching the departures drop-off zone on Cheong Hong Road.

The vehicle veered across lanes and mounted a concrete flower bed, leaving its front end perched precariously with the two front wheels dangling in mid-air. 

The windshield shattered on impact, scattering glass and debris across the road alongside twisted barriers, toppled traffic cones, and damaged road signs.

Emergency services rushed to the scene, where 18 passengers and the driver were found with injuries described as mostly minor. Seven passengers required hospital treatment for more serious conditions and were taken to North Lantau Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital.

Citybus confirmed the incident involved one of its airport express buses traveling from Siu Sai Wan to the airport. 

The company expressed sympathy to those affected, stated that staff were assisting passengers at the scene and in hospitals, and pledged full cooperation with the ongoing police investigation. 

The driver has been suspended from duties pending the outcome of the probe.

The Transport Department warned of severe congestion in the area, with part of Cheong Hong Road near the Terminal 1 drop-off zone closed to traffic. Drivers were urged to use the remaining open lanes.

The A12 route links Siu Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island with the airport, serving Chai Wan, Shau Kei Wan, Sai Wan Ho, Quarry Bay, North Point, and the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge along the way.

(Updated at 6.05pm)