TOKYO, JAPAN – A Japan Airlines flight collided with a Japanese coastguard plane enroute to Niigata Airport to deliver earthquake aid. The passenger plane landing in flames on a runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. This incident comes as Japan grapples with a series of powerful earthquakes that have left at least 48 people dead and caused widespread building damage due to fires and landslides.
According to Japan Airlines, all 379 passengers and crew on board the flight have been evacuated, while five out of six people on the coastguard plane remain unaccounted for. Simultaneously, a major tsunami warning was issued for Ishikawa prefecture on Japan’s central west coast. The warning was later downgraded, but those living in coastal areas have been advised not to return home yet. Moreover, bullet trains were halted in the region, and sections of highways were closed due to the earthquakes.
The affected areas include the Sea of Japan coast in Ishikawa, Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Fukui, Hokkaido, and several other prefectures. Tremors began near the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture on New Year’s Day. Japan frequently experiences earthquakes due to its location along the ‘Ring of Fire’, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
The UK Foreign Office has warned that further aftershocks remain a possibility and advised travelers in the affected areas to follow instructions from local authorities and stay updated with the latest information from relevant agencies. Moreover, the Japan National Tourism Agency has provided safety guidelines for earthquake and tsunami situations, urging individuals to protect themselves and seek shelter when necessary.
In conclusion, Japan continues to remain on alert for further quakes and advises residents and travelers to exercise caution while the country recovers from the recent series of earthquakes and their consequences.