US: Amazon air cargo plane crashes at Miami Airport, 5 dead

The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft, operated by 21 Air, had departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, before the incident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT) on Sunday.

The aircraft reportedly struck several vehicles after overshooting the runway.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in a post on X, said: “21 Air Flight 7598 overran the runway after landing at Miami International Airport around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 6.”

“The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico,” the FAA said.

The FAA said it would investigate the incident.

It remains unclear why the aircraft failed to stop after landing.

More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene following the crash, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said on X.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference, as quoted by the BBC: “At least five people have lost their lives, and five others are injured.”

“Right now, our focus is on the families, those who were injured, and the ongoing response,” she added.

Following the incident, Miami International Airport said in a Facebook post that two of its four runways were open.

“We are still experiencing impacts from this incident,” the airport said.

“Passengers with flights scheduled today should check directly with their airline for flight status updates before heading to the airport,” it added.

Meanwhile, Amazon expressed condolences over the loss of lives in the incident.

“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport,” Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement to CNN.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss,” she added.

“The airplane, which was operated by 21 Air, was attempting to land when this incident occurred,” the statement said. “We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to learn more and will cooperate fully with any investigation.”