Staff Reports
A terrifying scene unfolded at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport on Tuesday when a Japan Airlines plane carrying almost 400 people burst into a fiery inferno after a possible collision with a Coast Guard jet. The chaotic sight of the passenger plane engulfed in flames sent shockwaves through the airport as horrified onlookers watched the catastrophic event unfold.
Japan Airlines plane carrying nearly 400 passengers bursts into flames after collision; 5 crew members killed.
A passenger plane carrying nearly 400 people burst into a ball of fire at a Tokyo airport Tuesday when it collided with a coast guard jet — killing at least five crew… pic.twitter.com/ceydUrRNUq
— Sal Gueli (@sal_gueli) January 2, 2024
At least five brave crew members on the Coast Guard plane tragically lost their lives, while their captain suffered critical injuries. The heroic efforts of the 379 passengers on the JAL flight, who managed to escape the fully engulfed jet, were nothing short of miraculous. However, the aftermath of the collision left at least 17 passengers injured, their conditions undisclosed.
The harrowing experience was described by one young passenger, 17-year-old Anton Deibe, who recalled the cabin filling with smoke within minutes of the collision. “The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell,” he recounted. The chaos and panic inside the smoke-filled cabin were captured in footage and images shared on social media, with passengers shouting and scrambling to safety amidst the chaos.
Reports indicated that the Coast Guard aircraft was en route to deliver aid to victims of a devastating earthquake when the tragic collision occurred. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promptly instructed relevant agencies to coordinate their efforts in assessing the damage caused by the catastrophic event.
The closure of all runways at Haneda Airport added to the widespread disruption caused by the incident, leaving travelers stranded and exacerbating an already tumultuous situation. The heartbreaking loss of life and the injuries sustained in this collision serve as a stark reminder of the dangers inherent in air travel, even during humanitarian missions.
