5 dead, several injured as Japan Airlines plane catches fire

TOKYO – A Japan Airlines plane carrying 367 passengers caught fire while landing at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Tuesday, leading to casualties.

Video footage on public broadcaster NHK (Nippon Hoso Kyokai) showed the passenger’s jet was engulfed in a massive fireball while traveling on the runway after it collided with a Coast Guard aircraft.

As a result of the collision, five crew members of the Coast Guard’s plane died while the 6th one was left injured and is being treated.

After the collision, the plane came to a halt and individuals used emergency slides to escape the intense fire. Meanwhile, firefighters worked hard to control the fire.

Fortunately, all the passengers and 12 crew members of the Airbus A350 were safely evacuated from Japan Airlines Flight 516 after it landed in Haneda from Sapporo at 5:47 p.m. local time (3:47 a.m. ET).

After the incident, Haneda airport closed all its runways and the airline mentioned that they were currently evaluating how much damage has occurred.

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida directed agencies to work together quickly to evaluate the damage and share information with the public.

Japanese Transport Minister Saito mentioned that they don’t know why the accident happened, and the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), along with police and other departments would continue to investigate.

Saito also stated that the transport ministry will try to restart operations at Haneda airport as soon as they can.

Haneda Airport, officially known as Tokyo International Airport, is one of the busiest airports in Japan. Located in Ota, Tokyo, it serves as a major hub for domestic and international flights.