Japan Airlines Plane Catches Fire After Colliding With Coast Guard Aircraft Bound For Earthquake Relief, Five Dead

In a devastating incident at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, a Japan Airlines plane caught fire after a reported collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft. The calamity has resulted in five fatalities and the evacuation of hundreds of passengers.

What Happened: On Tuesday, a Japan Airlines flight, carrying 379 passengers and crew, erupted in flames on a runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport after a collision with a Coast Guard aircraft, as reported by CNBC. The Coast Guard aircraft was en route to Niigata, tasked with providing earthquake relief, according to initial reports.

Tokyo police, cited by Japanese national broadcaster NHK, confirmed that five of the six crew members onboard the Coast Guard aircraft perished in the incident. The surviving pilot is reportedly severely injured. Meanwhile, all the 379 passengers and crew aboard the Japan Airlines Airbus A350 were successfully evacuated.

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Japanese Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito corroborated the death toll among the Coast Guard crew but said the cause of the collision remains undetermined, according to Reuters. Saito added that authorities are working to reopen Haneda airport as soon as possible.

Why It Matters: This tragic event unfolds in the wake of a powerful earthquake that rocked central Japan just a day prior. The 7.6 magnitude quake caused significant infrastructure damage and triggered tsunami warnings, leading to the deployment of Japan Coast Guard aircraft for relief efforts. The earthquake resulted in collapsed buildings, widespread power outages, and considerable disruptions to transportation systems. The Coastal Guard aircraft involved in the collision was en route to Niigata, one of the regions severely affected by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami warnings.

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