Five people were killed after an Amazon cargo plane overshot the runway while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, officials said. The aircraft struck several vehicles before catching fire. Three people were taken to trauma centres in critical condition, while two others were treated at a local hospital. The Boeing 767 was operating as Prime Air Flight 7598. The aircraft had arrived from San Juan, Puerto Rico, at around 2 pm local time, or 1800 GMT. Videos from the scene showed thick smoke rising from the blue-and-white aircraft. Fire trucks and emergency crews rushed towards the crash site as authorities launched a major rescue and firefighting operation.

Prime Air Flight 7598 Overshoots Runway During Landing

The Amazon cargo aircraft was landing at Miami International Airport when it went beyond the runway and struck vehicles nearby. The impact trapped several victims inside the vehicles, according to Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Ray Jadallah.

Firefighters also had to deal with a difficult rescue operation inside the aircraft. The pilot and co-pilot were trapped inside the plane, requiring emergency teams to carry out a technical rescue while searching the wreckage. "The airplane did strike a couple of vehicles," Jadallah said, adding that this left "a couple of victims that were actually trapped in the vehicles".

"A complex extrication with our technical rescue team" was needed, "including a search and rescue of the pilot and co-pilot that were trapped in this aircraft," he added. Jadallah did not say whether the pilot or co-pilot survived the crash. Officials also declined to take questions after giving brief statements about the incident.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Deploys Nearly 200 Personnel

The Boeing 767 caught fire following the "crash", according to fire officials. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue deployed around 60 fire apparatuses and nearly 200 personnel to the accident site. Emergency teams worked on both firefighting and search-and-rescue operations. The scale of the response reflected the seriousness of the accident. Crews had to search the aircraft while also dealing with the fire and victims trapped in vehicles.

NTSB Launches Investigation Into Miami Plane Crash

The cause of the Amazon cargo plane crash has not yet been established. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the incident. "The actual cause of the incident will be determined by the FAA and the NTSB," Jadallah said. The NTSB confirmed that it had launched an investigation into the runway excursion. The agency said on X that the B-767-300 cargo aircraft was flying from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami. It also said it had "launched a go team to investigate Sunday's runway excursion accident." Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft, runway, vehicles and other evidence to determine what caused the plane to overshoot the runway.

Miami International Airport Closes Runways and Taxiways

The crash caused major disruption at Miami International Airport. Authorities closed all runways and taxiways following the accident. By Sunday evening, airport officials were advising travellers to check directly with their airlines before heading to the airport. The closures were necessary as emergency crews continued their rescue and investigation work at the crash site.

Amazon Responds to Prime Air Plane Crash

Amazon confirmed that the aircraft had "experienced an incident while attempting to land". The company did not immediately provide details about the number of people injured or killed. "This is a fast-moving situation and we're still gathering details. We're working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened," Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said. Amazon is expected to work with investigators and local authorities as they determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Miami Sheriff Calls Crash a 'Really Tragic Scene'

Miami Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz described the aftermath of the accident as a really tragic scene. Despite the severity of the crash, she said there was no apparent threat to public safety. Authorities will continue investigating the deadly runway excursion to establish what caused the Amazon cargo plane to leave the runway and strike vehicles during its landing at Miami International Airport.