Five people were killed after a Japanese plane collided with the Coast Guard at Tokyo airport

Watch the burning plane land at Haneda Airport

In Japan, five people were killed in a suspected collision between a JAL airliner and a Coast Guard plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. Police said on Tuesday that these were the crew members who were on board the Coast Guard plane. One sixth crew member was reportedly seriously injured.

The passenger plane was en route from Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture, to Tokyo. Pictures broadcast by Japanese television channel TBS showed passengers leaving the burning plane via an emergency chute. Shortly afterwards, Japan Airlines reported that all passengers and crew had been evacuated. According to the airline, none of them suffered life-threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, all of Haneda Airport's runways were temporarily closed as a result of the accident.

It is still unknown what exactly happened at the airport, which is also known as Tokyo International Airport. A Coast Guard employee told Agence France-Presse that the matter is still under consideration. “It is unclear whether there was a collision or not, but it is certain that our aircraft was involved.”

It is said that the Coast Guard plane was on its way to the west of the country. She was supposed to deliver relief supplies there after a major earthquake. The Coast Guard reported that the captain was able to escape after the accident. There is uncertainty about the fate of the other people on board.