Tragic collision at Tokyo airport. Japan Airlines plane burns down, 400 evacuated
The live broadcast from NHK showed a fire engulfing the aircraft from the nose to tail. Despite the efforts to extinguish the fire, the Reuters agency reported that flames were seen coming from inside the aircraft, and eventually, the plane completely burned down.
7:14 AM EST, January 2, 2024
In their preliminary findings, the aviation authorities confirmed that the aircraft had collided with a coast guard plane during landing. However, some witnesses claim to have seen one of the engines grazing the airport runway while landing, which could have caused the fire.
Evacuation of 400 passengers
It was reported that passengers were on board the inflamed plane. Media reports suggest that 400 passengers and crew members were successfully evacuated, although it remains unconfirmed whether there were any injuries.
Airport authorities reported that JAL flight 516, which took off from Hokkaido, was caught in the accident. The firefighting operations are ongoing, and an investigation has been initiated.
Details about the aircraft that collided during landing emerged, revealing it belonged to the Japanese Coast Guard with six people on board. According to the Reuters agency, only the captain managed to escape; the remaining five people tragically lost their lives in the accident. The aircraft was en route to the Noto Peninsula to aid those affected by an earthquake.
Airport shutdown
A spokesperson from Haneda Port announced that all airport runways have been temporarily closed due to the incident.
Located on the coast of Tokyo Bay in the capital of Japan, Tokyo-Haneda Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world.
