At least five people lost their lives and five others were injured after an Amazon cargo plane crashed into vehicles while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday.
The Boeing 767, operating as Prime Air Flight 7598 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, reportedly overshot the runway before bursting into flames.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah said three of the injured were rushed to trauma centres in critical condition, while two others received treatment at a nearby hospital.
“The airplane did strike a couple of vehicles,” Jadallah told reporters, adding that “a couple of victims that were actually trapped in the vehicles.”
He said firefighters carried out “a complex extrication with our technical rescue team,” including efforts to rescue the pilot and co-pilot trapped inside the aircraft.
Officials, however, did not disclose the condition of the pilot and co-pilot after the rescue operation.
Around 200 firefighters and 60 emergency vehicles responded to the scene, where crews extinguished the fire with foam and hazardous materials teams worked to stop a fuel leak.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it had “launched a go team to investigate Sunday’s runway excursion accident,” while the Federal Aviation Administration will determine the cause of the crash.
Reacting to the incident, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said, “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.”
Miami Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz described the crash site as “a really tragic scene” but assured the public there was “no apparent threat to public safety.”
The accident forced the temporary closure of all runways and taxiways at the airport, disrupting flights before two runways were later reopened.
Authorities said investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.
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