Japan Airlines Airbus A350 Catches Fire After Landing In Tokyo (Image: Screen grab)
A Japan Airlines aircraft caught fire on Tuesday on a runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport. According to Japan”s state broadcaster, NHK, all passengers and crew were safely evacuated. The Japanese news broadcast, citing authorities, also reported that the aircraft collided with a coast guard plane after landing.
Five out of six people on board the Coast Guard aircraft, which was hit by the Japanese airline, were killed. A total of 367 passengers and 12 crew onboard the plane escaped the casualties after the evacuation.
This accident involving the @JAL_Official_jp #A350-900 in #Tokyo is the first hull loss for this aircraft type.
Allegedly the aircraft collided with a coast guard aircraft.#AvGeek pic.twitter.com/HVmSrQnyjA— VT-VLO (@Vinamralongani) January 2, 2024
Videos circulating on social media platforms show the Japanese aircraft covered in flames as it landed in Haneda, one of the busiest airports in Japan. All the runways at the airport were closed following the incident. Meanwhile, 367 passengers and 12 crew members were evacuated. CNN, citing the airlines, reported that the evacuated passengers include eight children under the age of two. A representative for the airline also told CNN that Japan Airlines is investigating the cause and details of the incident.
At the same time, the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) confirmed to CNN that one of its aircraft collided with the flight 516 on the runway. The report also said that five out of the six crew members of the Coast Guard aircraft are unaccounted for. Notably, The flight 516 was carrying passengers from Shin-Chitose airport in Hokkaido to Haneda, and the Coast Guard aircraft was on its way to deliver aid to the earthquake-hit regions of Japan. Meanwhile, according to the Japanese Prime Minister”s office, PM Fumio Kishida instructed relevant agencies to coordinate to assess the damage and deliver accurate information to the public.
