MIAMI, United States- At least five people have died after an Amazon cargo aircraft overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport and struck several vehicles on a nearby road.
A Miami-Dade sheriff confirmed the death toll on Sunday as emergency teams continued responding to the crash.
The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft, operating as 21 Air Flight 7598 for Amazon Prime Air, had arrived from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The US Federal Aviation Administration said the plane overran the runway at about 2pm local time shortly after landing.
It crossed the airport boundary and struck multiple vehicles before catching fire, sending thick black smoke into the air.
More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units were deployed to the scene to extinguish the flames, search the affected area and assess patients.
Authorities had not immediately released the identities of those killed or clarified whether they were travelling in the aircraft or occupying vehicles struck on the road.
The condition of the aircraft’s crew and the total number of injured people also remained unclear.
The accident forced Miami International Airport to close all its runways and taxiways and prompted the FAA to impose a full ground stop. About 250 flights were delayed as operations at the major aviation hub were disrupted.
Images from the scene showed the aircraft resting on its belly near vehicles, with visible fire damage on part of its fuselage.
Amazon confirmed that the aircraft was operating on its behalf but was flown by cargo airline 21 Air.
“We can confirm that an Amazon Air plane operated by 21 Air experienced an incident while attempting to land at Miami International Airport,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said.
The company said it was working with local authorities to establish what happened and that its priority was the safety and care of everyone affected.
The cause of the runway overrun was not immediately known.
