a passenger plane catches fire on a runway at Tokyo-Haneda airport

Impressive images. A Japan Airlines plane caught fire on Tuesday January 2 on a runway at Tokyo-Haneda International Airport, according to images broadcast by Japanese public television channel NHK.

In these brief images taken at 5:47 p.m. local time (9:47 a.m. in Paris), we could see the plane taxiing on the tarmac before an explosion was triggered and left a trail of flames behind the aircraft, which then slowed down.

A probable collision between two devices

According to several local media, it is the airliner JAL 5016 coming from Sapporo (northern Japan), an Airbus A350-900, which would have hit a Japanese coast guard plane. “It’s not clear whether there was a collision or not. But what is certain is that our plane was involved.”said a coast guard official at Tokyo-Haneda airport. Japan Airlines, for its part, assured that its plane had struck the other aircraft shortly after landing, according to the Kyodo news agency, adding that the Japanese Ministry of Transport was investigating the accident.

The 379 passengers and members of the crew were able to be evacuated, assures NHK, citing a company official. However, five of the six people who were on board the other plane involved in the accident are missing, according to NHK. The sixth occupant managed to leave the aircraft.