A Japan Airlines passenger jet appears to have collided with a coastguard aircraft while landing in Haneda airport in Tokyo, skidding down the runway in flames before all 379 passengers and crew were evacuated safely.
The coastguard said five of the six members in its plane, which was carrying supplies as part of Japan’s earthquake relief efforts, were still unaccounted for. The pilot was evacuated.
Live television footage showed a landing jet about to touch down at night before a bright orange flash, with the plane continuing to roll on the runway with flames and smoke trailing behind it. A large fire was burning on the tarmac where the explosion first occurred.
Separate video showed firefighters tackling the blaze on the passenger jet, which was bent over on its nose, with flames coming out its windows. More than 70 fire engines fought the flames.
The Airbus aircraft had departed from Shin-Chitose airport in Hokkaido.
The Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, had instructed relevant agencies to coordinate to assess the damage swiftly and provide information to the public, according to his office.
Haneda, which was closed after the crash, is one of the busiest airports in Japan, and many people travel over the new year holidays.
