Bag stuffed with $900k in cash lost by Hong Kong airport staff

A bag stuffed with almost $1 million in Chinese yuan has been lost by airport staff in Hong Kong after falling off a baggage trailer.

Twelve bags of cash had arrived at the airport from a Cathay Pacific flight from Auckland last Friday, with CCTV footage showing a trailer driver turning a corner and unknowingly sending them toppling off, The Shanghaiist reports.

Realising three bags were missing 10 minutes later, the driver retraced his steps to find two still on the tarmac but one, carrying $897,000 in cash, missing.

Hong Kong police are treating the missing bag as a case of theft.

It is unknown if the trailer driver has been sacked.

A New Zealand police spokeswoman said police were aware of the incident but it was the responsibility of Hong Kong authorities.