Rescue forces at the area where two planes collided after putting out the fire on the evening of January 2.
Kyodo News reported on January 2 that five members of the Japan Coast Guard were killed after their plane collided with a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane landing at Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
The Coast Guard aircraft was a Bombardier Dash-8 maritime patrol aircraft (Canada) carrying 6 people, including the pilot who was seriously injured in the incident. The dead were aged between 27 and 56, but their identities are not yet known.
Video shows a Japan Airlines passenger plane engulfed in flames after colliding with another plane at an airport in Tokyo on January 2.
This is one of the Coast Guard aircraft preparing to provide relief to earthquake victims on the west coast of Japan. At least 55 people were killed in the earthquake, according to Reuters.
"It is extremely regrettable that precious lives were lost. We would like to express our sincere condolences to the deceased," said Japan Coast Guard Deputy Commander Yoshio Seguchi.
Previously, the JAL plane caught fire fiercely, making firefighting difficult.
The JAL plane was an Airbus A350 carrying 379 people, including 12 crew members, eight children and other passengers.
The incident occurred at 5:47 p.m. (local time) causing the JAL plane to burst into flames, but everyone escaped, including 17 people who were injured but not in danger of death.
Images from the scene showed passengers screaming inside the smoke-filled cabin, before escaping and running away from the fire.
"There was a loud noise as if the plane hit something and jerked back before landing. I saw flames flashing outside the window and the cabin was filled with smoke," said one passenger.
Japan's transport ministry said authorities were investigating the JAL plane's communications with air traffic control. The airport closed all four runways, disrupting air traffic during the peak season.
Three of the four runways were back in operation by around 9:30 p.m. (local time). Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had directed relevant agencies to coordinate to quickly assess the damage and provide information to the public.
Source link
Comment (0)