five dead in the collision of two planes at Tokyo-Haneda airport

Five people died in the collision of two planes at Tokyo-Haneda airport on Tuesday January 2, announced Japanese Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito. The victims are five of the six occupants of a Japanese coast guard plane which collided with the Japan Airlines plane. This aircraft was to bring humanitarian supplies to the Niigata region, hit the day before by earthquakes.

“Commander [de l’avion des garde-côtes] was able to escape“but the other five people on board are “deceased”, declared the minister. All 379 passengers and crew members of Japan Airlines plane JAL516 were able to evacuate “safe and sound” the device, added the minister.

Spectacular images

According to images broadcast shortly before by the Japanese public television channel NHK, a Japan Airlines plane caught fire on a runway at Tokyo-Haneda international airport.

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.