Fire at Japan’s Haneda Airport demolition site sends black smoke into Tokyo sky
A fire at a demolition site near Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on 29 September sent thick smoke into the air, but all workers evacuated safely and flight operations remained unaffected.
TOKYO, Japan – A fire at a demolition site near Haneda Airport sent heavy black smoke across the city skyline on the morning of 29 September.
The blaze started shortly after 9am in an old aircraft hangar owned by Airport Facilities Company, located about 1.5 kilometres northwest of Terminal 3 and 200 metres from Seibijo Station on the Tokyo Monorail.
Workers evacuated safely
At the time of the incident, 26 workers were inside the hangar. All managed to evacuate safely, and no injuries were reported.
Authorities said workers had been using blowtorches to cut steel beams near the roof before the fire broke out. Investigations are under way to determine the precise cause.
Response from fire services
The Tokyo Fire Department dispatched 34 fire engines and support vehicles to the site. Firefighters brought the blaze under control within two hours, though about 900 square metres of the hangar roof were destroyed.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that they are assisting with the investigation.
No disruption to flight operations
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Tokyo Airport Office said flight schedules were not affected. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways also confirmed that their operations remained on time but would continue monitoring for any indirect impact on runway usage or flight schedules.
