At least five killed after Amazon cargo plane crash in Miami airport

At least five people have died after an Amazon cargo plane crashed in the United States, overrunning its runway while landing at Miami International Airport and disrupting one of the country’s busiest airports.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a social media post that a Boeing 767-300 overran the runway at 2pm ET (18:00 GMT) upon arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Five people were also injured in the crash, three of whom are in critical condition, and two others were hospitalised with less severe injuries, Miami-Dade County officials said in a news conference.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said that “multiple vehicles” were struck by the plane, which caught on fire after it crashed. The department said more than 60 fire rescue units were working to extinguish the blaze and assess the status of people affected.

The fire rescue chief, Ray Jadallah, said some people were trapped inside motorised vehicles following the crash. The pilot and copilot were also trapped in the plane. It is not clear how many crew members or passengers were on board.

Fire crews were dealing with a fuel leak on the plane several hours after the incident, Jadallah said.

An Amazon spokesperson said the plane was operated by 21 Air and experienced “an incident” while attempting to land.

“We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said. “Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, wellbeing, and care of everyone involved. We’re doing everything we can to support those affected.”

Videos circulating online show black smoke billowing from the scene near the runway. The aircraft appeared to be largely intact despite the fire.

The 32-year-old plane had been a passenger aircraft for more than two decades before being repurposed as a cargo carrier in 2015, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.

Early reports indicated that the aircraft veered off the runway and crossed a road near the airport.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigates major transportation-related accidents, confirmed that it was aware of the crash and would provide additional updates as more information became available.

US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said his agency had issued a full ground stop in Miami after the incident, urging travellers to anticipate “significant delays”.

The cause of the incident is unknown. The FAA said it is investigating.