Evacuation Efforts Underway as Tokyo-bound Plane Catches Fire in Collision

In a harrowing incident at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, a catastrophic collision between a Japan Airlines plane and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft has left over three hundred passengers and crew members evacuated, with five individuals still missing. The tragedy unfolded at approximately 6 p.m local time during the landing of Flight 516 from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido.

The New York Times reported that the collision led to a devastating blaze engulfing the Japan Airlines plane, carrying 367 passengers and 12 crew members. The aircraft was scheduled to land at Haneda Airport around 5:40 p.m.

Local news outlet NHK captured the horrific scene as the plane touched down, flames erupting from the left side and top of the fuselage. Firefighters battled tirelessly to extinguish the inferno.

All 367 passengers and 12 crew members from the Japan Airlines flight were successfully evacuated. However, the New York Times states that only one occupant of the Coast Guard aircraft has been located, leaving five others unaccounted for.

As the investigation unfolds, the aviation community and the public are left grappling with the aftermath of this tragic collision at one of Tokyo’s busiest airports.