A Japan Airlines plane caught fire on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday, reportedly after colliding with a coast guard aircraft, according to television reports.
Images broadcasted on NHK showed the Airbus plane moving along the runway before an explosion of orange flames erupted from beneath and behind it.
All 367 passengers on board the aircraft were successfully evacuated, as reported by NHK.
The cause of the incident remains unclear, but early reports suggest a collision between the Airbus and a Coast Guard aircraft. The plane had just arrived from Sapporo airport on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
A coast guard official at Haneda Airport stated they were “checking details,” adding, “It’s not clear if there was a collision. But it is certain that our plane is involved,” according to AFP.
Television footage depicted flames emerging from windows and the plane’s nose on the ground, with rescue workers spraying it. Burning debris was also visible on the runway.
More than 70 fire engines were deployed to handle the situation, as per NHK.
Japan has not experienced a serious commercial aviation accident in decades. Its worst-ever incident occurred in 1985 when a JAL jumbo jet flying from Tokyo to Osaka crashed in the central Gunma region, resulting in the tragic loss of 520 passengers and crew. This disaster stands as one of the world’s deadliest plane crashes involving a single flight.