Hong Kong airport tow-truck driver arrested after worker suspected to have been killed by plane
- Hong Kong police received a call from airport staff at around 3am saying a man had been found unconscious at the West Apron
- Emergency personnel subsequently pronounced the 34-year-old man dead at the scene
A tow-truck driver was arrested after a worker suspected to have fallen out of his vehicle and been run over by an aircraft was found dead on the apron of Hong Kong’s airport on Tuesday morning in a rare accident.
Police said they received a call from airport staff at around 3am that a man had been found unconscious at the West Apron.
Emergency personnel subsequently found the 34-year-old man with multiple serious injuries on his body and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Police said they believed the victim was a passenger of a special purpose vehicle driven by a 60-year-old man, and it was suspected he had fallen out of the tractor and had been hit by the aircraft while it was being towed.
The driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and was being detained for further questioning, the force said.
The Airport Authority earlier said the victim was an employee of China Aircraft Services responsible for aircraft towing.
Initial findings indicated the employee was suspected of not fastening a safety belt while working on the tow tractor, the authority added.
“The Airport Authority expresses sorrow over the death of the airport staff and extends its condolences to the family,” it said, adding it was in touch with the relevant ground services company to provide assistance to the victim’s family.
The force has classified the case as a fatal traffic accident. The special investigation team of the New Territories South traffic unit is looking into the case.
The Airport Air Freight Employees’ Association, consisting mainly of frontline and ground workers, expressed its condolences and said it expected relevant operators or companies to extend help, including financial support, to the victim’s family.
The association said that it had met the authority on Tuesday to emphasise the importance of equipment maintenance and the need to improve safety awareness, adding it had also suggested introducing smart safety light signals to help remind staff to adhere to protocols.
Police urged witnesses or anyone with information related to the incident to contact officers at 3661 1346.
Dangerous driving causing death is punishable by up to 10 years behind bars.
Additional reporting by Lilian Cheng and Ambrose Li
