MIAMI (AP) \u2014 An Amazon cargo plane barreled off a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, killing at least five people as it struck vehicles and burst into flames, authorities said.<\/p>\n
The aircraft overran the runway around 2 p.m. after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Five people were killed, three critically injured and two others hospitalized with less severe injuries, Miami-Dade County officials told a news conference.<\/p>\n
Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said some people were trapped inside vehicles. The pilot and copilot were also trapped in the plane. Fire crews were still dealing with a fuel leak on the plane several hours after the crash, Jadallah said.<\/p>\n
More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the crash, arriving to find the aircraft on fire as crews worked to extinguish the flames and assess patients.<\/p>\n
The Prime Air plane came to rest beside a roadway near two semi-trucks, according to images from the scene. The aircraft appeared to be resting on its belly and was largely intact despite the fire.<\/p>\n
The flight had been operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers and flew for several airlines for more than two decades before being converted to a cargo plane in 2015, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.<\/p>\n
About 250 flights were delayed at the airport late afternoon Sunday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.<\/p>\n
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending a team to Miami led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to investigate.<\/p>\n
“We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a social media post. “Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved.”<\/p>\n
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