Japan Airlines passengers evacuated from burning plane after deadly crash with Coast Guard aircraft in Tokyo

A fire has broken out on a Japan Airlines aircraft as it came in to land at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, with TV footage showing flames coming from the plane’s engine and some windows.

Authorities said the large fire was likely caused by a collision between the Japan Airlines plane and a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft that was on its way to deliver aid to the earthquake-hit Noto peninsula.

A Japan Airlines spokesperson said flight JAL 516 was carrying 367 passengers from Shin-Chitose airport in Hokkaido to Haneda when the incident occurred on landing. There were 12 crew members on board.

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All passengers and crew on board the passenger flight are believed to have been safely evacuated, public broadcaster NHK said.

“We are currently assessing the extent of the damage,” the airline said, according to NHK.

However, five out of six Japan Coast Guard crew members on the aircraft that collided with the Japan Airlines aircraft went missing, according to TBS Television. The sixth member of Coast Guard personnel was reported to have escaped the crash.

The five missing crew members have been found dead, reported NHK, in what would be the first casualties of the massive fire.

The Japan Coast Guard said they were investigating the crash involving its MA-722 aircraft.

Tokyo fire department also said that the fire is believed to have been caused by a collision between the passenger aircraft and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft.

It said the Coast Guard plane also caught fire, Kyodo News reported.

TV footage from Japan’s public broadcaster showed a huge blaze engulfing the rear of the plane at the airport and the runway also appeared to have ignited.

Other videos showed firefighters battling to douse the fire.

Unverified footage on social media from inside the passenger plane showed smoke-filled cabin as panicked passengers covered their faces and loud screams can be heard.

The cause of the fire, and whether anyone was injured, was unclear.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has launched an investigation into the incident.

The plane took off from Sapporo in Hokkaido at 4pm local time and was supposed to land in Tokyo at 5.40pm.

It comes as authorities in Japan were racing against time after a massive 7.6 earthquake and later a series of tremors caused widespread damage and devastation. At least 48 people have died.

Additional flights were supposed to operate from Haneda after Noto airport was shut down in the aftermath of the earthquake.

All runways at the Haneda airport were shut at around 6pm and some flights were diverted to Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture.

Japan’s Coast Guard said the aircraft that was involved in the crash was on its way to Niigata Airport base to deliver aid to the earthquake victims.