At least five people have died and many more are injured after an Amazon cargo plane veered off a runway at Miami International Airport. The aircraft struck vehicles and burst into flames around 2pm on Sunday, September 6 after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Injuries and trapped victims
Miami-Dade County officials said three other people were critically injured and two others hospitalised with less severe injuries. Some people were trapped inside vehicles, Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said.
The pilot and co-pilot were also trapped in the aircraft and fire crews were dealing with a fuel leak on the plane several hours after the incident. Videos circulating online captured black smoke billowing from the aircraft.
Emergency response and aircraft details
More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the crash. They arrived to find the aircraft in flames as crews worked to extinguish the blaze and assess patients.
The Prime Air plane stopped beside a roadway near two semi-trucks, according to images from the scene. The aircraft, which was largely in tact despite the blaze, appeared to be resting on its belly.
Official statements and flight history
"We're working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened," said Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel. "Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, wellbeing, and care of everyone involved. We're doing everything we can to support those affected."
The flight had been operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers and flew for several airlines before it was converted to a cargo plane in 2015, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24. About 250 flights were delayed at the airport late afternoon Sunday.
