The Prime Air plane reportedly skidded off the runway at Miami International Airport
An Amazon cargo plane is seen after it crashed at Miami International Airport(Image: Getty Images)
An Amazon cargo plane crash killed five people, with more than 60 fire units rushing to the scene to battle the ensuing blaze. The incident happened yesterday (September 6) at Miami International Airport as the aircraft arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Irish Mirror reports the plane skidded off its path and collided with vehicles, erupting into flames at approximately 2pm. Miami-Dade County authorities confirmed three additional people sustained critical injuries while two others were taken to hospital with less serious injuries.
Several people were trapped inside vehicles, according to Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah. The pilot and co-pilot were also trapped within the aircraft, and fire crews were tackling a fuel leak from the plane several hours following the incident.
Footage circulating online showed black smoke pouring from the aircraft. Over 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units attended the crash scene.
They discovered the aircraft engulfed in flames as crews battled to put out the fire and treat casualties. The Prime Air plane came to rest alongside a roadway near two lorries, according to photographs from the scene.
The aircraft, which remained largely intact despite the fire, appeared to be resting on its undercarriage.
“We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened,” said Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel.
“Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, wellbeing, and care of everyone involved. We’re doing everything we can to support those affected.”
The flight had been operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was initially constructed to transport passengers and operated for multiple airlines before being converted to a cargo aircraft in 2015, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.
Approximately 250 flights were delayed at the airport late on Sunday afternoon.
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