Miami: An Amazon Prime Air cargo plane crashed after overrunning the runway while landing at Miami International Airport in the United States on Sunday. The accident killed at least five people, while five others were injured, three of them critically. After running off the runway, the aircraft also struck several vehicles parked on the ground.
According to local officials, Prime Air Flight 7598 was landing on one of Miami International Airport's diagonal runways at around 2pm EDT (early Monday morning Indian time) when it overran the runway and collided with multiple vehicles. The aircraft caught fire after the collision, sending smoke billowing across the site.
Citing Reuters, Miami-Dade Fire Chief Rey Jadallah said at least two people were trapped inside the vehicles struck by the plane, while the pilot and co-pilot were also trapped inside the aircraft. Rescue teams reached the scene and began extracting the injured. Officials said fuel continued to leak from the wrecked aircraft well into the evening, requiring additional caution during the rescue operation.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said more than 60 units and over 200 personnel were deployed to the site following the crash. The department said that on arrival, the aircraft was engulfed in flames with heavy smoke rising from the wreckage.
According to a flight-tracking service, the aircraft, which had taken off from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was a 32-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter. Its speed at the point of the runway excursion was recorded at approximately 112 knots (129 mph). The aircraft was being operated for Amazon by 21 Air.
Videos and photographs that emerged after the crash showed the aircraft lying diagonally across a road outside the airport, with black smoke rising from the wreckage. The accident triggered chaos in the surrounding area, with large numbers of emergency service teams arriving at the scene.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has despatched a team to investigate the accident, led by NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. The agency may hold its first media briefing on the crash in Miami on Monday.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company was gathering information related to the accident and was working with local administration and officials to determine its cause. She said the company's immediate priority was the safety, health and care of everyone involved. Boeing and 21 Air have also said they will fully cooperate with the government investigation. The exact cause of the crash is likely to become clear only once the investigation is complete.