Five Killed As Amazon Cargo Plane Crashes At Miami Airport

Miami, Sept 7: At least five people were killed after an Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport and crashed into vehicles before bursting into flames, authorities said.

The aircraft, operated by North Carolina-based cargo carrier 21 Air, overran the runway at around 2 pm after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to officials.

Miami-Dade County authorities said five people were killed in the crash, while three others suffered critical injuries and two were hospitalised with less serious injuries.

More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene, where the aircraft was found on fire. Emergency crews worked to extinguish the flames and assess and treat those injured in the incident.

The Prime Air aircraft came to rest beside a roadway near two semi-trucks, according to images from the crash site. The plane appeared to have landed on its belly and remained largely intact despite the fire.

The aircraft was a 32-year-old Boeing 767 that had originally been built as a passenger aircraft before being converted into a cargo plane in 2015, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. It had previously been operated by several airlines over more than two decades.

The crash caused significant disruption at Miami International Airport, with around 250 flights delayed by late Sunday afternoon, according to FlightAware.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was gathering information about the crash.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company was working with local authorities to determine what happened and that the safety and care of everyone involved remained the company’s priority. (Agencies)