Plane bursts into flames on runway in Tokyo
A Japan Airlines (JAL) airplane was in flames on the runway of Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday following a collision with a coast guard aircraft. Japan's Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito said five people on board the coast guard aircraft were killed while the pilot escaped. Footage on public broadcaster NHK showed the Airbus A350 moving briskly along the runway before an explosion of orange flames burst from beneath it. All 379 passengers and crew on board JAL flight 516 escaped from the fire. Fourteen people on the passenger plane were injured, according to the airline, but none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening. The Japanese coast guard said the collision involved flight MA-722, a Bombardier Dash-8, one of its planes that was headed to Niigata airport on Japan's west coast to deliver aid to those caught up in a powerful earthquake that struck on New Year's Day, killing at least 48 people. Here in Hong Kong, the Immigration Department said as of 8pm, 10 Hongkongers who were on board the JAL flight had asked for assistance.  All of them were said to be safe. Officials said they will refer the cases to the Chinese Embassy in Japan, and stay in touch with the Hongkongers. Footage and images shared on social media showed passengers of the JAL flight shouting inside the smoke-filled cabin and running across the tarmac away from an evacuation slide. "I felt a boom like we had hit something and jerked upward the moment we landed," a passenger told Kyodo news agency. "I saw sparks outside the window and the cabin filled with gas and smoke." An airline spokesperson said its aircraft had departed from Shin-Chitose airport on the northern island of Hokkaido.  The collision occurred shortly after landing. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed relevant agencies to coordinate to assess the damage swiftly and provide information to the public, according to his office. (Agencies)_____________________________
Last updated: 2024-01-03 HKT 15:04 