At least five people were killed when an Amazon cargo plane overshot a runway after landing Sunday at Miami International Airport, struck vehicles and caught fire, officials said.
Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Ray Jadallah told reporters that, in addition to the five fatalities, three people were transported to trauma centers in “critical condition,” while two others were treated at a local hospital.
“The airplane did strike a couple of vehicles,” leaving “a couple of victims that were actually trapped in the vehicles,” Jadallah said.
A “complex extrication with our technical rescue team” was required, he said, including a search-and-rescue operation for the pilot and co-pilot, who were trapped inside the aircraft.
Jadallah did not clarify whether either crew member survived, and officials declined to take questions following their brief statements.
Video from the scene showed thick smoke billowing from the blue-and-white Boeing 767 after the aircraft arrived from Puerto Rico at 1:58 p.m. local time (1758 GMT), as fire trucks rushed to the crash site.
The aircraft, operating as Prime Air Flight 7598, caught fire following the crash, fire officials said.
“A total of 60 fire apparatuses arrived, just short, just shy of 200 men and women from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, to begin the actual search and rescue and firefighting,” Jadallah said.
“The actual cause of the incident will be determined by the FAA and the NTSB,” he added, referring to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday evening, fire officials said crews used foam to extinguish a fire in the aircraft’s engine compartment.
“One person was trapped under one of the involved vehicles and had to be extricated by specialized technical rescue personnel,” the statement said. “Specialized hazardous materials (HazMat) units safely shut down the aircraft’s engine and worked to control a fuel leak.”
Investigation launched
The NTSB said in an X post Sunday that the Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft was flying from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami when it was involved in a “runway excursion accident.”
The agency said it had “launched a go team to investigate” the crash.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company would cooperate with any investigation into the incident.
“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss,” Nantel said.
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz described the scene as “really tragic,” but said there was “no apparent threat to public safety.”
The airport temporarily closed all runways and taxiways following the incident. In an update posted to its website Sunday evening, airport officials urged travelers to check directly with their airlines before heading to the airport.
After holding all flights for several hours, the airport experienced widespread delays and cancellations affecting commercial passengers. The Miami Herald reported that two of the airport’s four runways had reopened by Sunday evening.
In a statement on X, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava thanked first responders for their rapid response, saying, “our fire rescue team was there within seconds of the crash, so we’re deeply grateful.”
AFP
