Five dead after Amazon cargo plane goes off runway at Miami airport

Five people were killed and five others injured Sunday after an Amazon cargo plane overran the runway at Miami International Airport, hitting several vehicles and catching fire, local authorities said.

“We now know that five people lost their lives and five others were injured,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during a press conference at the airport.

Of the injured, three are in “critical condition” and the other two were transported to a local hospital, Miami-Dade Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said.

“More than sixty firefighters are on the scene of an accident involving a plane that overran the end of the runway and struck multiple vehicles near Miami International Airport,” firefighters wrote on the social network

The American aviation regulator (FAA) clarified that the damaged cargo plane was Prime Air flight 7598, a Boeing 767-300 from Puerto Rico, and announced that it was opening an investigation.

“All airport runways and lanes are currently closed,” Miami Airport said shortly after 3:00 p.m. local time on its X account.

“Prime Air flight 7598 left the end of the runway at Miami International Airport (...) at approximately 2:00 p.m. (Sunday), leaving the aircraft stopped northwest of the airport,” he detailed.

Videos of the accident posted on social media show thick smoke and flames rising from the plane, which appears to have crossed a road before stopping its course. Several trucks are nearby.

“Upon their arrival, the teams found a plane which had caught fire following this accident, with large flames and smoke,” the firefighters further described.

In images shot by AFP shortly after 4 p.m., the fire appears to have been extinguished. Police cars and ambulances with flashing lights are visible in the perimeter.

Questioned by AFP, Amazon confirmed the accident which occurred during landing and said it was “doing everything possible to help those affected”, according to its spokesperson Kelly Nantel.

“The situation is evolving very quickly and we are still gathering information,” she added.

The flight was operated by 21 Air, a cargo company based in North Carolina, specifies the AP News site.

The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers and flew for several airlines for more than two decades before being converted to a cargo plane in 2015, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.