3 Killed As Plane Crashes Into Houses (PHOTOS, Video)

Three people have been killed on Sunday, July 26, following an airplane crash into a residential area of the Japanese capital, Tokyo.

The tail section of a crashed light plane and burning house are seen after the plane went down in a residential area and burst into flames, in Chofu, outskirt of Tokyo, July 26, 2015. Photo: REUTERS

According to public broadcaster NHK, the crash also set houses and cars on fire.

The plane was said to have taken off from Chofu Airport in western part of the city, but fell into the residential area soon after take off at about 10.58am.

A television footage showed that the plane crashed upside down. The footage further displays the wreckage of a house that had burnt-out, as firefighters and rescue officials scoured the smoking ruins.

Several other houses nearby also appeared to be badly damaged.

NHK reported that two men inside the small plane which was carrying five people were killed.

The reports further said that a woman who was inside one of the houses was also killed and five people were injured.

An unidentified woman who spoke to NHK said: “I heard a tremendous sound like a truck crashed into a house… When I looked outside from a window, fire was flaring up.”

The tail section of a crashed light plane (R) and burning house are seen after the plane went down in a residential area and burst into flames, in Chofu, outskirt of Tokyo, July 26, 2015. Photo: REUTERS

“The fire was blazing up so hard,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Tokyo Fire Department said three people were “in cardiopulmonary arrest”, a description often applied by officials in Japan until deaths are confirmed by a medical examiner. Hence, fears that the death toll may rise abounds.

An aerial view shows debris of a crashed light plane (bottom C) and burning houses are seen after the plane went down in a residential area and burst into flames, in Chofu, outskirt of Tokyo, on July 26, 2015. Photo: Reuters

The fire department also said five houses and at least two cars had been set ablaze.

Following the incident, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Monday, July, 27, called on the land ministry to conduct thorough inspections of safety measures for small aircraft.

Also, the mayor of Chofu city, Yoshiki Nagatomo, issued a statement saying that he had been requesting Tokyo to reduce the number of flights that depart from the airport.

Nagatomo went on to request that flights be canceled until a thorough investigation of the accident was conducted.

It is reported that Chofu airport is used by small aircraft that carry passengers to Pacific Islands within a 200 kilometer radius of Tokyo.

An aerial view shows debris of a crashed light plane and burning house are seen after the plane went down in a residential area and burst into flames, in Chofu, outskirt of Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo July 26, 2015. Photo: REUTERS

About a dozen daily flights take off from Chofu to destinations including Izu Oshima island.

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