At least five killed after Amazon cargo plane overruns runway at Miami airport

An Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, struck vehicles and burst into flames, killing at least five people, authorities said.

The aircraft arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and ran beyond the runway around 2 p.m. Five people died, three suffered critical injuries and two others were hospitalized with less serious injuries, Miami-Dade County officials said at a news conference. Some people became trapped inside vehicles, while the pilot and copilot were trapped in the plane.

More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded. Crews found the aircraft on fire and worked to extinguish the flames while assessing patients. Several hours after the crash, firefighters were still dealing with a fuel leak. Images from the scene showed the Prime Air plane beside a roadway near two semi-trucks. It appeared to have come to rest on its belly and remained largely intact despite the fire.

The flight was operated by North Carolina-based cargo carrier 21 Air. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 originally carried passengers and flew for several airlines for more than two decades before its conversion to a cargo aircraft in 2015, according to Flightradar24. About 250 flights were delayed late Sunday, FlightAware reported.

The NTSB said it would send a team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said, "We're working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened. Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved."

“

We're working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened. Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved.