All 379 people on board the plane were evacuated safely thanks to a crucial action.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that on the afternoon of January 2, a JAL516 flight operated by Japan Airlines collided with a coast guard aircraft on the runway at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. The collision instantly ignited a fierce fire, leading to an explosion in a short time.
Fortunately, all 379 individuals on the plane, including passengers and crew members, were promptly evacuated, with only 14 people suffering injuries from the incident.
A large fire engulfs the plane carrying 379 individuals on the runway at Haneda Airport.
This is considered a miracle, as swiftly assessing the situation and implementing a safe escape plan in response to an unexpected accident is not easy. A video recording the moments inside the aircraft during the collision partly explains why this miracle occurred.
According to the video, despite being extremely panicked witnessing the cabin filled with smoke and flames engulfing the aircraft, not a single passenger left their seat. After being instructed by the flight attendants to remain calm and follow the rapid evacuation guidelines, all passengers successfully escaped danger in less than 20 minutes.
The video captures the evacuation process of passengers during the accident. (Source: Reuters).
Notably, all passengers left behind their personal belongings. This is said to be a particularly important factor, as aviation safety authorities have warned for many years that attempting to carry hand luggage increases the risk of injury during evacuation.
Sharing his experience of evacuating from the danger zone, passenger Tsubasa Sawada (28 years old) stated: “The flight attendants asked us to stay calm and guided us to exit the plane. I heard the explosion about 10 minutes after everyone and I had left the aircraft. I can only say it was a miracle; we could have died if we had been slower.”
According to Japan Airlines, the evacuation of passengers was nearly immediate after the plane came to a stop, and all passengers were transported to safety in less than 20 minutes.
Passengers quickly evacuate through the emergency exit before the plane explodes.
Image of the plane engulfed in flames after the horrific incident.
Japan Airlines is frequently recognized among the safest airlines in the world, according to Airlineratings. Editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas stated: “Japan Airlines has maintained an excellent safety record since 1985. Our website rates it as a top seven-star airline and it has passed all critical safety inspections. Additionally, Japan’s aviation safety authority performs better than eight oversight criteria compared to the global average in compliance.” |
