FIVE of the six crew members of Japan’s Coast Guard plane died even before they could perform their mission to assist earthquake victims and save others from the disaster.
The JAL Airbus A350 aircraft burst into flames after it collided with a Japanese Airlines plane at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Tuesday.
All 379 passengers and crew who were onboard the large passenger plane were evacuated to safety moments before the coast guard aircraft exploded.
The aircraft was preparing to take off to deliver aid to earthquake victims in central Japan when it burst into flames.
The incident caused more than 100 flights to and from Tokyo’s Haneda airport to get canceled on Wednesday which affected approximately 20,000 passengers.
Meanwhile, more than 60 people were declared dead from the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck Japan’s west coast on Monday.
The death toll is expected to further increase in the coming days.
The pilot of the ill-fated coast guard plane was the only one who escaped and survived but is now fighting for his life after sustaining severe injuries from the deadly collision.
