Airport worker injured as boarding bridge falls off plane at Hong Kong airport

Passengers on board a Cathay Pacific flight escaped injuries when an airbridge collapsed at Chek Lap Kok yesterday evening, but an airport worker was wounded in the incident.

The rear airbridge, attached to an entrance of the Nagoya-bound CX532 at Terminal 1's boarding gate 71, fell on its side at about 6pm, after passengers had already boarded the plane. As it fell, it upset the front bridge, causing it also to fall, an Airport Authority spokeswoman said.

No passengers or crew members were on either bridge at the time. But a 51-year-old bridge operator fell with the rear bridge.

Witnesses saw the man lying on the ground as Airport Security Unit officers performed first aid on him. Police said his limbs were hurt and he was taken conscious to Princess Margaret Hospital.

A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman said all 262 passengers and its staff on board the Airbus A330 were safe as most of them were already on the plane at the time of the incident. The flight had been scheduled to depart at 4.10pm, but was delayed.

The spokeswoman said the plane was "slightly damaged". A picture taken by a witness showed the aircraft door torn off and lying on the ground alongside the fallen airbridge.