Japanese prime minister offers condolences after plane disaster kills five people

Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida has offered his condolences after five people died in a plane disaster.

A passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday 2 January and burst into flames, killing five people on the smaller plane.

“These people who have died all carried out their jobs with a strong sense of duty and responsibility for the disaster-stricken areas and victims,” Mr Kishida said.

“This is a very unfortunate incident, and I would like to offer my sincere condolences while expressing my respect and gratitude for their sense of duty.”