Japan Airlines Plane On Fire On Tokyo Haneda Airport Runway
A Japan Airlines plane caught fire on a Haneda Airport runway in Tokyo on Tuesday (2 Jan).
Source: Reuters
The aircraft, which arrived from New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, Hokkaido, landed at 5.47pm local time.
Fortunately, Japan Airlines later confirmed that it had evacuated all 379 people on board.
Footage of the harrowing scene was shared widely on social media.
Japan Airlines plane reportedly collided with another aircraft
According to Flightradar24, the plane took off from Sapporo at 4.27pm and landed at 5.47pm.
Reuters reported that the Airbus A350 possibly collided with a Coast Guard aircraft on the runway at Haneda Airport.
It became engulfed in flames directly upon touching down.
Source: NTV News on YouTube
The Coast Guard aircraft reportedly belongs to Haneda Air Base.
NHK posted footage of the landing, which showed the plane bursting into flames as it arrived on the runway.
【羽田空港 日本航空の機体が炎上】
国土交通省東京空港事務所によりますと、羽田空港でJALの旅客機から炎があがっていると聞いているが客が搭乗しているかどうかなどはまだわからない、情報を確認中だと話していました。https://t.co/UGWveQ1hVi#nhk_video pic.twitter.com/s4YDQhcfll— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) January 2, 2024
In the clip, black smoke can be seen emanating from the aircraft as it continues to burn.
Subsequent footage shows firefighters working to put out the blaze.
A Japan Airlines spokesperson said there were 379 people on board, including 367 passengers and 12 crew members, NHK reported.
All of those on board had already evacuated, the airline confirmed.
However, five out of the six Coast Guard aircraft crew remain unaccounted for, while one managed to escape.
All runways closed as of 6pm
Japan Airport Building said it has closed all runways at Haneda Airport since around 6pm.
As of 7pm local time, firefighters continue to battle the flames.
The fire comes a day after Japan was hit with a 7.6-magnitude earthquake, leaving at least 13 people dead.
Japan Hit By 7.6-Magnitude Earthquake On New Year’s Day, At Least 13 Confirmed Dead
This is a developing story.
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Featured image adapted from NHK WORLD-JAPAN on Facebook.
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