At least five people died and another five were injured this Sunday when a cargo plane operated by Amazon went off the runway during landing at Miami International Airport, collided with several vehicles and ended up engulfed in flames, prompting a large mobilization of emergency services.
The accident occurred around 2 PM when flight 7598 of Prime Air, operated by the company 21 Air, a Boeing 767-300, veered off one of the airport's diagonal runways and ended up beyond the operational area limits.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office and the Miami-Dade Fire Department confirmed that at least 10 people were involved in the accident. Fire Chief Raied Jadallah reported that three of the injured were taken to a trauma center in critical condition, while two others were transported to local hospitals for medical attention.
An airplane accident at Miami Airport left at least five people dead when a Boeing 767-300 was attempting to land
Rescue efforts were complicated by a fire that originated in the aircraft's engine compartment and a fuel leak caused by the impact. Specialized teams used foam to control the flames, and hazardous materials units worked to contain the spill.
''We still have an active fuel leak that is being mitigated,'' Jadallah explained during an update on the emergency operations.
Several of the victims were trapped in the vehicles struck by the plane. One of them required extraction procedures performed by personnel specialized in technical rescues. Emergency teams also conducted search and rescue operations inside the aircraft, where the pilots and co-pilots remained trapped in the cockpit.
In the midst of the rescue operations, an active fire outbreak occurred due to a fuel leak from the engine area
More than 60 fire units and about 200 personnel were deployed at the accident site. The mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava, highlighted the swift response of the emergency teams and stated that the first responders arrived just seconds after the incident.
Amazon confirmed that one of its cargo planes experienced an ''incident'' while attempting to land and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased. The company indicated that it is working with authorities to determine the exact circumstances of the accident and assured that its priority is to support all those affected.
Boeing also expressed its condolences and confirmed that the aircraft was originally delivered in 1994 as a passenger plane before being later converted into a freighter. The manufacturer noted that it is cooperating with the investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The mayor of Miami highlighted the work of the security and rescue forces as well as the speed with which they acted
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the plane as a Boeing 767-300 that had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, heading to Miami.
Following the accident, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a temporary halt to ground operations at the airport while emergency teams assessed the situation. Subsequently, one of the runways was reopened, although authorities warned that operational disruptions persisted and delays and cancellations could occur.
Passengers with scheduled flights were advised to check with their respective airlines before heading to the airport. As operations continue in the accident area, the FAA will lead the investigation to determine what caused the plane to go off the runway during landing and establish the circumstances that led to the fatal incident.
The Secretary of Transportation of the Donald Trump administration was present at the accident site and announced a temporary halt to ground operations
