JAPAN / TAIWAN: China Airlines passengers arrive in Taiwan after plane exlosion as investigations continue in Japan
Record ID:
464081
JAPAN / TAIWAN: China Airlines passengers arrive in Taiwan after plane exlosion as investigations continue in Japan
- Title: JAPAN / TAIWAN: China Airlines passengers arrive in Taiwan after plane exlosion as investigations continue in Japan
- Date: 23rd August 2007
- Summary: (W2) TAOYUAN, TAIWAN (AUGUST 23, 2007) (REUTERS) BOARD DISPLAYING ARRIVAL FLIGHTS ARRIVAL FLIGHT SHOWING "OKINAWA" PASSENGERS WALKING OUT OF THE GATE (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) UNIDENTIFIED PASSENGERS SAYING: "They compensated T$65,000. It depends on personal views. It is hard to estimate the loss, because girls may bring back more cosmetics. It is alright, I am happy to survive." MORE OF PASSENGERS COMING OUT OF GATE A WOMAN, MS. FAN, ON WHEELCHAIR ACCOMPANIED BY OTHER PASSENGERS CLOSE-UP VIEW OF MS. FAN CRYING AIRLINE PASSENGERS TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) PASSENGER MS. JIANG SAYING: "She hasn't slept well in the past few days, because she is nervous everyday. No it was not turbulence. She has been under too much pressure and threw up after coming out of the flight." MS. JIANG HUGGING MS. FAN CLOSE-UP VIEW OF MS. FAN CRYING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) PASSENGER MS. JIANG SAYING: "She sat by the window, right beside the explosion. It was smoking and went up in flames." PASSENGERS WAITING FOR BUS PASSENGER TALKING ON CELLPHONE MS. FAN ACCOMPANIED BY OTHER PASSENGERS AND BOARDING THE BUS WIDE OF THE BUS
- Embargoed: 7th September 2007 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA7D59VAZ20T01BAPDHL29XPWLP
- Story Text: Passengers who were on a China Airlines flight which burst into flames in Japan, arrived back home in Taiwan on Thursday (August 23) to relieved relatives.
The China Airline Flight 120 exploded shortly after landing at Naha airport, Japan on Monday (August 20), but luckily all passengers and crew escaped safely moments before the blast.
More than thirty of the passengers who felt relieved to have made the narrow escape, arrived in Taoyuan, and criticised the flight crew for giving unclear evacuation instructions which they say, could have led to potentially fatal delays.
The passengers, who received around T$65,000 (1,900 U.S. dollars) in compensation as well as gifts from China Airlines, said they were happy to set foot on home soil and could not say if the compensation was adequate.
The passengers lost their luggage and each were carrying bags with differing values, one passenger explained.
"They compensated T$65,000. It depends on personal views. It is hard to estimate the loss, because girls may bring back more cosmetics. It is alright, I am happy to survive," she said.
Ms. Fan, one of the passengers, said she could not get over with the traumatising memories of the incident.
"She hasn't slept well in the past few days, because she is nervous everyday. No it was not turbulence. She has been under too much pressure and threw up after coming out of the flight," Mr. Fan said as she consoled one of the other passengers.
"She sat by the window, right beside the explosion. It was smoking and went up in flames," she added.
Meanwhile in Japan, where the incident happened, a five-member U.S.
group of aviation experts, including two from Boeing Co, arrived in Okinawa to investigate along with Japanese authorities the cause of the explosion.
The left engine of a Boeing 737-800 belonging to Taiwan-based China Airlines exploded shortly after arrival in Naha from Taipei, ripping the plane apart.
Investigators are looking in to a possible leak from a fuel pipe in the wing as the possible cause of the initial fire, after the fuel came in to contact with the heat of the engine, Japanese media said.
In Tokyo, the president of the Japanese branch of China Airlines held a press conference on Thursday to apologise to the passengers and Japanese public.
"I would like firstly to apologise to the passengers and their family members for the enormous anxiety and worry they went through over the incident in Okinawa. Furthermore I would also like to apologise to the japanese public for causing them anxiety over the aviation industry," Ho Hann-yeh, the CAL Japan president told Japanese media.
Earlier in the day, Ho had been summoned to the Japanese Transport ministry to apologise there too.
"From a safety point of view, it was a very big and important accident and regrettable. It really shook the credibility of the aviation industry. Our experts are currently investigating the cause of the accident and I want you give them your full support in finding out what caused the accident and preventing future similar accidents," Japanese Transport Ministry Aviation Safety Director Yoshihisa Tani told Ho. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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