by Conrad Hoyt, Overnight News Editor
A passenger plane carrying more than 350 people burst into flames at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday, just one day after the nation’s west coast was ravaged by a series of severe earthquakes.
The Japan Airlines plane hit another aircraft upon landing, but all 379 people believed to be on board made it out safely, according to local reports. However, the Japanese coast guard, which was operating the other plane, said five of its six crew members were killed in the crash.
Videos posted on social media show the enormous fireball after the passenger plane landed and appeared to hit the other aircraft. Photos from the recovery efforts show the plane scorched.
The airport is one of the busiest in Japan, with many people traveling around the New Year’s holiday.
(Kyodo News via AP)
Reports suggest the coast guard plane was on the tarmac to assist with the earthquake recovery efforts, as people are still missing. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel responded to the report of the plane crash on X, formerly Twitter, early Tuesday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the plane accident at Haneda Airport, especially the missing Japanese Coast Guard personnel who were on their way to help the victims of yesterday’s Ishikawa earthquake. As we await more information, we commend the professionalism of the flight attendants, crew, and emergency responders who successfully evacuated and saved the lives of all 367 passengers on the JAL flight,” he wrote.
Roughly 50 people are dead after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake shook the Noto Peninsula on Monday, triggering multiple aftershocks and causing fires and tsunami alerts. Officials have suggested the death toll could rise as relief workers race to save people trapped under rubble.