At least five people were killed and five others injured after an Amazon Prime Air cargo flight overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, local officials said.
Cargo plane overruns runway during landing
Prime Air Flight 7598 overran the airport’s diagonal runway shortly before 2 pm EDT and struck multiple vehicles on the ground, officials said.
Miami-Dade Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said five people were injured, including three who were in critical condition. At least two people were trapped inside vehicles struck by the aircraft, while the pilot and co-pilot were trapped inside the plane following the crash.
Officials did not immediately release the identities of those killed.
Rescue teams respond as fuel leak continues
More than 60 rescue units and around 200 personnel responded to the crash, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
Emergency crews continued dealing with an active fuel leak from the aircraft later on Sunday. The airport initially halted all flights following the crash, although two of its four runways had reopened by Sunday evening.
The aircraft had departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was a 32-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter that had previously operated as a passenger aircraft for various airlines between 1994 and 2015.
Investigation launched into deadly crash
Cargo airline 21 Air operated the aircraft for Amazon, an Amazon spokesperson said. The company said its priority was the safety and care of everyone involved.
The US National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to investigate the crash. The agency is expected to hold its first media briefing in Miami on Monday.
Boeing and 21 Air have said they will support the government investigations.
The incident comes after another fatal crash involving an Amazon Prime Air-operated Boeing 767-300 freighter in February 2019. Atlas Air Flight 3591 crashed into Trinity Bay, Texas, while flying from Miami to Houston, killing all three people on board