At least five people died after a Boeing cargo plane operating for Amazon crashed in Miami, overshooting the runway and coming to rest on a busy road.
Footage and photos from the crash site shared by NBC Miami showed the Amazon-branded aircraft sitting dangerously close to a building as thick smoke poured from the plane.
The cargo jet was arriving at Miami International Airport from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it went beyond the end of the runway at about 2 p.m. Sunday and “struck multiple vehicles” on Northwest 42nd Avenue, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told the Daily Mail.
Firefighters reached the scene within 30 seconds of the emergency call and found several people trapped inside their vehicles, Fire Chief Raied Jadallah said during a news conference Sunday evening.
Crews also encountered heavy flames and dense smoke coming from the aircraft as they began their rescue response.
‘What we found was a very complex situation here,’ he described.
At least five people were killed in the tragedy, while three others remain in critical condition at a local trauma center.
Two others were also transported to the hospital with unspecified injuries. Authorities have not yet identified the deceased nor the victims taken to the hospital.
Multiple people are injured after an Amazon cargo plane crashed after overrunning the runway at the Miami International Airport on Sunday
The plane caught on fire as a result of the crash. It is unclear if there are any fatalities
The Prime Air plane ultimately came to a rest on its belly near two semitrucks and appeared to be largely intact despite the fire.
But in distressing radio traffic obtained by the Miami Herald, a firefighter could be heard telling colleagues: ‘The plane is on fire. The plane is on fire. Put your game face on guys.’
Firefighters could also be heard on the emergency radio dispatch scrambling to get hoses close enough to the plane to spray water to suppress the flames.
Making matters worse, the aircraft’s left engine was still running when firefighters battled the blaze, making it dangerous for them to enter the plane to check for patients inside.
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The firefighters could be heard in the radio traffic saying the pilots onboard told them they could not turn the engine off because they would need to ‘energize’ the aircraft, leaving firefighters on the scene forced to flood the engine with water.
Meanwhile, Rohan Ellis, 34, a student pilot who was on the other side of the airport when the Prime Air plane crashed, described the vehicles on the road as ‘mangled’ to The New York Times.
Following the crash, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced he issued a full ground stop at the airport.
‘If you’re traveling through the area, please expect significant delays and potential cancellations,’ he posted on social media, adding that the Federal Aviation Administration will send inspectors to the scene.
The National Transportation Safety Board has also said it launched a team to investigate the ‘runway excursion accident.’
Miami International Airport has since reopened two of its four runway, but flights are still being impacted, with about 250 flights delayed at the airport late Sunday afternoon, according to FlightAware.
Smoke billowed into the sky after the Prime Air plane crashed into a busy road
In the meantime, Amazon said in a statement that it is still gathering information during this ‘fast-moving situation.’
‘We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to understand exactly what happened,’ it said.
‘Right now, our absolute priority is the safety, well-being, and care of everyone involved. We’re doing everything we can to support those affected.’
A spokesperson for the airport also told the Daily Mail that the plane ‘overran Miami International Airport’s diagonal runway and is disabled at the northwest end of the airport.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Amazon and Miami police for comment.
This is a breaking story, please check back for updates.