2-1-2024 (TOKYO) A Japan Airlines passenger plane caught fire while taxiing at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday, prompting an emergency evacuation of all 379 people on board. At least 17 passengers sustained injuries, but remarkably, no fatalities were reported among those who escaped the smoke-filled cabin.
However, the incident claimed the lives of five members of Japan’s Coast Guard, according to TBS, a Japanese media outlet. The condition of the JAL aircraft’s captain is also said to be critical.
Amateur video from inside the taxiing Airbus A350, Flight JL516, showed passengers anxiously covering their noses as black smoke filled the cabin. Once the plane halted, evacuation slides deployed and travelers scrambled to exit the fiery scene.
The dramatic inferno reportedly started after the aircraft collided with a Coast Guard plane getting ready to take off. The crash sparked a massive explosion, with aerial footage capturing the JAL jet trailing flames as it continued rolling down the runway.
At least 70 fire trucks raced to extinguish the blaze, which completely engulfed the plane’s fuselage. The shocking accident also prompted Japan’s government to swiftly establish an emergency response center.
In Hong Kong, the civil aviation department said at least five flights between the territory and Haneda were impacted. Passengers were advised to closely monitor announcements regarding Haneda flights over the next two days.
Remarkably, all JAL passengers survived the fiery scene thanks to a swift evacuation. But the high toll on Coast Guard personnel provides a sobering counterpoint. As investigators search for answers, the harrowing incident underscores the vital importance of emergency protocols and swift action.
This accident,ending in a fire hazzard, that has resulted in a hull loss for a A350 aircraft model, with a futuristic carbon monolithic (CFRP) fuselage, will have many angles of investigation for the investigative agencies, and further reccomendation for the aviation industry. pic.twitter.com/wlSD8TbLrL
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) January 2, 2024
