United Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Japan, 2 people injured

A United Airlines jet. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

TOKYO — United Airlines said on Friday that two people had sustained minor injuries after a flight heading from Tokyo to Cebu in the Philippines made an emergency landing over concerns of a potential fire in the cargo hold.

United’s Flight 32, a Boeing with 135 passengers and seven crew members onboard, was diverted to Kansai International Airport in Osaka after it took off from Narita Airport near Tokyo.

All passengers and crew onboard the jet were evacuated using the emergency slides, while the two injured were taken to the hospital, United said.

The carrier added that an initial maintenance check showed no indication of a fire on the airplane.

Reuters could not reach the Kansai airport, local police and fire departments, the transport ministry via phone outside normal business hours.

(Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama and Mariko Katsumura and Nathan Gomes; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Anil D’Silva)