A harrowing experience for a Japan Airlines plane upon landing on a runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport led to a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft in a tragic incident that happened on Tuesday. Five individuals on board the coast guard jet have died as a result of the crash, according to the most recent NHK reporting, and the captain has been seriously injured, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
There were six people on board the coast guard aircraft that was involved in earthquake relief operations. Sadly, only one coast guard team member has been found; the whereabouts of the other five are still unknown. Unsettling video from national network NHK shown flames coming from the windows and under the plane.
In contrast, the Japan Airlines aircraft’s 379 passengers and 12 crew members have all safely evacuated. But the ambiguity behind the missing Coast Guard members makes the situation even more dire.
Authorities are taking immediate action in response to the occurrence, opening investigations to determine the complete nature of the collision and guarantee the safety of all parties. The plane in question, designated JAL 516, had taken off from Hokkaido, which threw further complication into the events that were transpiring.
This tragic incident comes on the heels of a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan’s coastal areas the previous day, resulting in 48 reported deaths. Rescue operations are ongoing, with police and local authorities working tirelessly to extract bodies from the rubble of collapsed buildings.
As the investigations progress, the aviation and maritime authorities will collaborate to determine the root cause of the collision, and the nation will collectively mourn the loss of lives in this harrowing incident that has left a community in shock and sorrow.