- A Japan Airlines plane collided with another aircraft at Tokyo International Airport.
- The collision resulted in the tragic death of five out of six crew members.
- The captain of the aircraft survived.
A Japan Airlines plane burst into flames at Tokyo International Airport. After reportedly colliding with another aircraft upon landing on Tuesday, according to local news reports.
The news channel reported the safe evacuation of all 379 passengers on board the Japan Airlines (JAL) plane. The collision, confirmed by Japan’s Coast Guard, involved one of its planes, resulting in the tragic death of five out of the six crew members, as reported by NHK news channel. Reports indicate that the captain has survived.
Haneda airport’s spokesperson stated the closure of all runways. Local TV footage captured a significant eruption of fire and smoke from the Japan Airlines plane as it taxied on a runway, with the area around the wing catching fire. The passengers were evacuated from the aircraft via an emergency chute. Subsequent videos depicted firefighting crews working to extinguish the blaze, which had spread extensively across the plane.
The aircraft, originating from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, suffered severe damage in an explosive fireball. At the time of reporting, there was no information available regarding possible casualties. Haneda, being one of Japan’s busiest airports, experiences high travel volumes, particularly during the New Year holidays.
One of the journalists informed the media that the coastguard plane involved in the collision was delivering aid to Niigata, a city on the west coast, as part of rescue efforts following Monday’s devastating earthquake.
“This has been a troubling two days and the start of the year for people in Japan,” he added.
Alex Macheras, an aviation analyst, said it was still “very early” in terms of trying to grasp what exactly happened.
“As is often the case with such incidents, what it appears [to be the case] in the first couple of minutes and hours, can be very different to what happened, and what we learn later in the investigation process,” he told to the media.
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