At least five people have died and five others were injured after an Amazon Air cargo plane crashed while attempting to land at Miami International Airport in the United States.
The Boeing 767-300, operated by North Carolina-based charter company 21 Air, overshot the airport’s diagonal runway shortly before 2:00 p.m. local time on Sunday after departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The aircraft crashed at the northwestern end of the runway and struck several vehicles on the ground, triggering a major emergency response.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed that five people were killed, while Miami Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said three of the five injured were in critical condition.
Firefighters said some of the injured were trapped inside or underneath vehicles hit by the aircraft and had to be rescued. More than 200 firefighters responded to the scene, where the crash caused heavy flames and smoke. Although the fire was extinguished, officials reported a fuel leak.
Authorities have not yet determined whether all those killed were on board the aircraft or on the ground.
The cause of the crash remains unknown. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is expected to investigate the incident and hold a news conference on Monday.
Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft was travelling at about 112 knots (129 mph or 207 km/h) when it left the usable section of the runway.
Weather conditions at the time included light thunderstorms and gusty winds, according to FlightRadar24, although officials have not linked the weather to the crash.
Amazon expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said it was working closely with local authorities while pledging to cooperate fully with the investigation.
The crash occurred during the US Labor Day weekend, one of the country’s busiest travel periods, causing widespread flight delays and cancellations at Miami International Airport.
Reuter.
