Breaking: Plane bursts into flames after landing in Japan

A Japan Airlines plane has burst into flames after landing on a runway at the Haneda airport in Tokyo, the country’s capital.

The incident which occurred on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, left the runway razed.

According to Reuters, the Japan Airlines Airbus A350 aircraft burst into flames as it skidded down the tarmac after landing.

It was later overwhelmed by the blaze despite feverish efforts by rescue crews to control the fire.

Footage and images shared on social media showed passengers shouting inside the smoke-filled cabin and running across the tarmac away from the blaze.

READ ALSO: 4 Japanese ministers resign over corruption scandal

The airline, however, said all 379 people on board, including passengers and crew members, were safely evacuated.

The Coast Guard said the collision involved one of its planes that were 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.

A spokesperson at Japan Airlines said its aircraft had departed from Shin-Chitose airport on the northern island of Hokkaido.

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.

Haneda has closed all runways following the incident, a spokesperson for the airport said.

The Star