A Japan Airlines plane faced a distressing situation as it caught fire on Tokyo’s Haneda Airport runway, following a reported collision with a coast guard aircraft, according to television reports.
Five people on board a Coast Guard aircraft died after a runway collision, and the captain escaped, as stated by the Japanese transport minister.
Gripping images from NHK depict the plane moving along the runway before erupting into a burst of orange flames. Remarkably, all 367 passengers on the Airbus were safely evacuated.
A coast guard official at Haneda Airport, one of the world’s busiest, stated they were “checking details.” “It’s not clear if there was a collision. But it is certain that our plane is involved,” he told AFP.
While the cause remains unclear, early indications point to a collision with a Coast Guard aircraft. Reports mention the plane’s recent arrival from Sapporo airport in Hokkaido. Television footage captured rescue workers battling the flames, with more than 70 fire engines deployed, as burning debris littered the runway.
Despite the harrowing incident, Japan has not witnessed a serious commercial aviation accident in decades.
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
