A U.S. fighter jet was forced to discharge two tanks of fuel into a lake in northern Japan after its engine caught fire on Tuesday, local media reported.
However, Japanese Defence Minister, Itsunori Onodera, told reporters that there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The minister said the fire broke out shortly after the F-16 jet took off from Misawa Air Base, about 600 kilometres north of Tokyo, at around 8:39 a.m. (2339 GMT Monday).
The jet offloaded two tanks of fuel into Lake Ogawara before returning to the base, broadcaster NHK reported.
Onodera said he would query the reason for the fire and seek assurance from the U.S. that such incidents would be prevented in the future.
This is the latest in a series of accidents involving Japanese and U.S. military aircraft.
Two Japanese soldiers died earlier this month when a military helicopter crashed into a house in south-western Japan and triggered a fire.
An 11-year-old girl who was inside the house sustained minor injuries while fleeing the scene.
The southern island of Okinawa also recently witnessed series of incidents involving U.S. forces stationed there.
In December 2017, Okinawan anger was sparked when a U.S. helicopter window fell onto an elementary school’s grounds on the island but nobody was injured. (dpa/NAN)
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