More than 1,000 personnel, volunteers stage emergency drill at Hong Kong airport

Hong Kong International Airport has staged a large-scale emergency drill to test its ability to respond to a major aircraft accident, with more than 1,000 personnel and hundreds of volunteers taking part.The annual aircraft crash and rescue exercise was held on the airport’s centre runway in the early hours of Tuesday, starting at 2.15am and concluding around four hours later.It simulated a departing flight forced to abort take-off after smoke was reported from a passenger’s power bank.In the simulation, the aircraft carrying 120 passengers attempted to stop on the runway but suffered a burst tyre while braking.It then veered off the runway as its landing gear collapsed and a fire broke out on the tarmac.The drill simulates an emergency in which a fire is ignited after the landing gear of the plane malfunctions. Photo: HandoutAir traffic controllers immediately activated the crash alarm, triggering a coordinated emergency response across the airport.