Amazon cargo jet overrun at Miami airport kills five
Miami: Five people died and five others were injured when an Amazon cargo jet overran a runway and crashed at Miami International Airport in Florida, officials said.
The Boeing 767-300 freighter, operating as Prime Air Flight 7598 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, left the runway after landing at about 2pm local time (1800 GMT) on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz told a news conference that the accident occurred at 1.58pm and confirmed five deaths, while county mayor Daniella Levine Cava said five people were taken to hospital.
Video from the scene showed heavy smoke rising from the aircraft, and the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said more than 60 units and around 200 firefighters were deployed. The plane “experienced an incident while attempting to land”, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said, adding that details were still being gathered. The FAA said an investigation would be carried out.
In a separate incident on Saturday, two people were killed and two others critically injured when a small single-engine plane crashed on a bluff above the San Joaquin River in Fresno, California, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said. Four people were on board; two children died at the scene and two adults were rushed to hospital in critical condition. Firefighters put out the fire and prevented it from spreading to nearby homes, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
(Inputs from IANS)