Japan Airlines Plane With 379 People On Board Catches Fire On Runway

A Japan Airlines plane was in flames as it landed on a runway at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Tuesday evening.

Footage on broadcaster NHK showed flames coming out of the windows of the aircraft and beneath it. The runway was also set alight.

NHK, citing authorities, said the plane may have collided with another aircraft after landing at Haneda. There are passengers on board.

It also reported that the plane, JAL 516, had taken off from Hokkaido.

Reuters news agency and NHK are both reporting that the Japan Airlines flight may have crashed with a Japanese coast guard plane.

Japan Airlines says all 379 passengers and crew on board have been evacuated, according to Reuters news agency and NHK.

We're still watching the live images from Tokyo's Haneda Airport, and a few moments ago we saw passengers evacuating the plane on inflatable slides and running away from the burning plane.

The aircraft is now almost entirely destroyed by the flames - with air crews still battling to bring it under control.

Now, Japanese broadcasters TBS and NHK say one person onboard the coastguard plane escaped, while the other five remain unaccounted for.

Japan's coast guard says its aircraft - which is thought to have collided with the passenger jet - was on its way to Niigata Airport to deliver aid to the earthquake-hit Noto peninsula, according to the news agency Reuters.

BBC