The Philippine Embassy in Japan vows to continue gathering information from Haneda Airport and Japan Airlines regarding any Filipinos on the plane that collided and caught fire upon landing.
Philippine Ambassador to Japan, Mylene Garcia-Albano, explained to CNN Philippines’ “The Source” on January 3 that privacy concerns prevent JAL and Haneda Airport police from disclosing details about the 379 passengers on the flight.
“Actually, we have not been able to get that information despite persistent efforts to reach out to Japan Airlines and Haneda Airport police,” she said.
While they “continue to persist” in getting such information, the envoy shared that the embassy started calling again on Wednesday morning, “in the hopes that we can get information.”
Albano expressed worry that if any Filipinos were among the passengers, despite their safe evacuation from the plane, they might require travel documents if they couldn’t retrieve their belongings.
As Japan carries out rescue and relief efforts for victims of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Ishikawa prefecture on New Year’s Day, resulting in the death of at least 57 individuals, the incident occurred.
Albano mentioned approximately 1,300 Filipinos in the vicinity, all confirmed to be safe. Only a small number of tourists sought embassy assistance due to disrupted train services following the quake.
Efforts are focused on prioritizing the restoration of power and water supply, with additional security forces deployed to assist in rescue operations, Albano noted.
Meanwhile, experts have advised against prematurely determining a cause, emphasizing that accidents often result from a combination of various factors. However, investigators are anticipated to thoroughly examine the instructions provided by controllers to both aircraft, along with a detailed analysis of plane and airport systems.
The deadliest aviation accident in history remains the collision between two Boeing 747s in Tenerife in 1977, resulting in the loss of 583 lives.
Also Read: Magnitude 7.5 earthquake hits Japan on New Year’s Day
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