Transport authorities are set to investigate after a US passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Kansai International Airport in western Japan. There were about 140 passengers and crew on board.
United Airlines flight 32 touched down on Friday after 7 p.m. The passengers started evacuating on the emergency slides about 30 minutes later. Five sustained minor injuries.
The Boeing 737 had taken off from Narita Airport near Tokyo and was heading for Cebu in the Philippines. But transport ministry officials say the cockpit received a warning about a fire in the cargo compartment at about 6:30 p.m.
The aircraft was about 200 kilometers off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture at a height of about 10,000 meters at the time.
Authorities say no firefighting activities took place. And a United Airlines official told NHK that an initial inspection found no signs that a blaze had broken out.
The Japan Transport Safety Board is considering the case a serious incident that could have led to a disaster.
Two investigators are set to arrive at Kansai International Airport on Saturday. They will inspect the aircraft and determine whether the evacuation operation was appropriate.
AloJapan.com