Another major casualty accident almost occurred in Japan, which suffered heavy damage from a strong earthquake on the first day of the new year. A Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane landing at Tokyo Haneda Airport on the 2nd collided with another plane on the runway and burned down due to a large fire. Fortunately, all passengers and crew on board escaped safely.
According to NHK, JAL Flight 516, which arrived at Haneda Airport from New Chitose Airport in Chitose City, Hokkaido, collided with a Bombardier MA722 aircraft belonging to the Japan Coast Guard’s Haneda Air Base while landing on the runway at around 5:47 p.m.
At the time, a total of 379 people were on board the JAL aircraft, including 12 crew members and 367 passengers. Among the passengers were eight children. It is reported that they left the countryside by around 6:40 p.m. It is reported that all six people on board the Coast Guard aircraft also escaped. However, some people escaped through the flames, so the exact extent of their injuries is not known.
![On the 2nd (local time), Japan Airlines (JAL) Flight 561 was engulfed in flames as it landed on the runway at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan. 2024.01.02. [도쿄=AP/뉴시스]](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/01/02/122874511.1.jpg)
On the 2nd (local time), Japan Airlines (JAL) Flight 561 was engulfed in flames as it landed on the runway at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan. 2024.01.02. [도쿄=AP/뉴시스]NHK reported the situation at the scene, saying, “The plane fire started in the engine side of the aircraft and spread to the entire fuselage,” and “Black smoke billowed out along with flames from the windows.” The Airport Fire Department mobilized about 70 fire trucks to extinguish the fire, but the flames continued beyond 7:30 p.m. and the aircraft was completely destroyed.
The JAL aircraft was scheduled to take off from New Chitose Airport around 4 p.m. and land at Haneda Airport around 5:40 p.m. The aircraft model was Airbus A350. The Coast Guard aircraft was scheduled to transport supplies to Niigata Prefecture, one of the areas hit by the earthquake on the 1st. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at around 6:05 p.m. on this day, “We will do our best to provide relief to victims in close consultation with relevant ministries,” and added, “We will identify the damage situation as quickly as possible and provide appropriate information.”
Due to the accident, Haneda Airport immediately closed the airport around 6 PM for safety reasons. As a result, Korean Air Flight KE2103 bound for Haneda, which departed from Gimpo Airport, returned to Nagoya Airport and landed around 7:10 pm. Asiana Airlines Flight OZ1065, which was scheduled to take off from Gimpo Airport at 7:35 PM and head to Haneda Airport, was delayed by 1 hour and 25 minutes to 9 PM.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.