JAPAN — Five members of a Coast Guard crew, en route to aid earthquake victims, lost their lives in a devastating collision between their Bombardier Dash-8 (Coastguard flight MA-722) and a Japan Airlines Airbus A-350 (JAL flight 516) during landing at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport.
Shocking footage captures the inferno engulfing the Japan Airlines jet on the runway, with passengers fleeing just moments before a fiery explosion.
In the heartbreaking incident, the smaller coastguard aircraft collided with the larger passenger jet on runway C, resulting in immediate flames.
Terrifying scenes unfold as flames engulf the Japan Airlines jet, debris falls from the fuselage, and passengers sprint along the runway to escape the blaze.
Despite the destruction, all 379 passengers and crew on the Japan Airlines flight evacuated successfully. The coastguard crew, however, had no time to evade the rapidly spreading fire.
The tragedy is compounded by reports that the coastguard plane, set to assist in rescue efforts after a recent earthquake, lost all five crew members.
The Japan Airlines flight departed from Shin Chitose airport and landed at Haneda when the collision occurred.
This devastating incident underscores the risks and challenges faced by those responding to emergencies, emphasizing the importance of aviation safety and disaster response coordination.
(With reports from MailOnline UK)
(IAmigo/MNM)