5 days ago
Mourners float lanterns for 1985 Japan Airlines crash victims
Mourners in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, have floated paper lanterns down a river to remember the victims of Japan's deadliest airline disaster, ahead of its 40th anniversary on Tuesday.
On August 12, 1985, a Japan Airlines jumbo jet crashed into a mountain ridge in Ueno Village, killing 520 passengers and crew. It was the world's worst single-aircraft accident.
Relatives of the victims and local residents gathered on Monday evening near the crash site, writing messages to the victims and prayers for aviation safety on the lanterns.
The glowing lanterns drifted downstream as participants prayed in silence and blew soap bubbles into the sky.
On Tuesday, the bereaved relatives plan to climb to the Osutaka Ridge crash site in the morning, before attending a memorial service at the foot of the mountain in the evening.
