5 dead after Amazon cargo plane overshoots Miami airport runway

International

FIVE people were killed and five others seriously injured when an Amazon Air cargo plane overshot the runway at Miami International Airport and crashed into vehicles on the ground.

The Boeing 767-300 aircraft crashed shortly before 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on Sunday while attempting to land after departing from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed the casualties at a news conference.

“At least five people have lost their lives, and five others are injured,” she said in a BBC report.

Levine Cava said rescue crews reached the scene within “seconds” and that the focus remained on the victims, their families and those injured.

Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said three of the five injured people were in critical condition. The mayor said all five had been taken to hospital with “unknown injuries”.

Some of those injured were trapped inside or underneath vehicles and had to be freed by fire and rescue crews, Jadallah said.

More than 200 firefighters responded after the aircraft caught fire. Miami Dade Fire Rescue said crews found heavy flames and smoke when they arrived. The fire was extinguished, but a fuel leak remained, according to Jadallah.

The aircraft was operated by North Carolina-based charter company 21 Air. Miami International Airport said the plane “overran Miami International Airport’s diagonal runway and is disabled at the northwest end of the airport”.

Amazon said it was working with authorities and cooperating with the investigation.

“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport,” said Kelly Nantel, Amazon’s Director of Corporate Global Media Relations in the same article.

The BBC has contacted 21 Air for comment but has not received a response.

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered flights grounded as emergency crews dealt with the crash.(MyTVCebu)