A catastrophic fire broke out at Tokyo's Haneda airport when a Japan Airlines plane collided with a smaller Coast Guard aircraft. Despite the severity of the incident, all 379 individuals on board the Japan Airlines plane, including passengers and crew, managed to escape unscathed. The Coast Guard aircraft wasn't as fortunate, with five of its six crew members still missing, although the captain was able to escape, according to a Coast Guard representative.
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The Japan Airlines Airbus A350 was seen engulfed in flames in live footage broadcasted by NHK, as it slid down the runway post-landing. Despite the best efforts of the rescue teams, the fire eventually overpowered the aircraft. Remarkably, all 367 passengers and 12 crew members were safely evacuated. Social media was flooded with images and videos of passengers fleeing from the smoke-filled cabin and the ensuing fire.
The Coast Guard revealed that the aircraft involved in the collision was en route to Niigata airport on Japan's west coast to deliver aid for the victims of the powerful New Year's Day earthquake, which claimed at least 48 lives. A Japan Airlines spokesperson stated that their aircraft had taken off from Shin-Chitose airport on Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan.
In response to the incident, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida directed relevant agencies to quickly evaluate the damage and disseminate information to the public. Following the incident, all runways at Haneda airport have been shut down, as confirmed by an airport spokesperson.