Japanese media reported that a large airliner carrying 367 passengers exploded at an airport near Tokyo today after colliding with a Coast Guard plane while landing.
Shocking footage showed the Japan Airlines jet engulfed in a raging inferno on the runway at Haneda Airport in Ota City, Tokyo, with flames shooting out of passenger windows.
In one terrifying clip, flames could be seen shooting out of the plane's windows and doors as smoldering debris fell from the fuselage onto the runway, while in another, passengers could be seen sprinting down the runway towards the fire escape.
A spokesperson for Japan Airlines reportedly told NHK that all 367 passengers who were on board the plane at the time of the explosion were successfully evacuated from the stricken aircraft.
There is no official confirmation of casualties or injuries, but a successful evacuation of all passengers and crew would be a truly miraculous feat, considering that the fire completely destroyed the aircraft and melted through large parts of its bodywork.
Images from the scene showed the passenger emergency slide protruding from one of the plane's doors catching fire as more flames burned throughout the cabin.
Firefighters were immediately deployed to the scene. Footage from Japanese broadcaster NHK showed firefighters desperately trying to put out the flames with several hoses.
The horrific incident came just a day after a brutal magnitude 7.6 earthquake devastated much of Japan's west coast, killing dozens of people and leveling tens of thousands of homes.
Japanese media reported that a large airliner carrying 367 passengers exploded at an airport near Tokyo today after colliding with a Coast Guard plane while landing
A Japanese airline plane caught fire at Tokyo's Haneda Airport after colliding with a Coast Guard aircraft
Shocking footage showed the Japan Airlines jet engulfed in a raging inferno on the runway at Haneda Airport in Ota City, Tokyo, with flames shooting out of passenger windows
The evacuation ramp is on fire
A brutal fire quickly spread throughout the aircraft
You can see smoldering debris falling from the fuselage onto the asphalt
Footage taken aboard another aircraft shows the inferno below
A Japan Airlines plane burns on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)
Firefighters rushed to the scene to extinguish the flames
In this footage, a massive inferno can be seen engulfing the plane
Travelers watch in shock and despair as the plane burns on the runway