Plane crash in Miami: An Amazon cargo plane veers off the runway, crashes into several vehicles, and leaves 5 dead

A cargo plane bearing the Amazon logo veered off the runway while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, leaving five people dead and five others injured, three of whom are in critical condition, according to local authorities.

The aircraft, a Boeing 767-300 operated by 21 Air as Flight 7598, was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it veered off Runway 30 shortly before 2:00 p.m. local time, struck several vehicles, and finally came to a stop on a field next to the airport. Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz detailed this in the hours following the accident.

The fire chief of Miami-Dade, Raied Jadallah, reported that three of the injured were transported to a trauma center in critical condition, while the other two were taken to a local hospital. Footage from the scene showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the wreckage of the plane, which Jadallah described as the result of a collision with "a couple of vehicles" on the ground.

The emergency response was immediate. According to the county mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, fire and rescue crews arrived "within seconds" of the crash. More than 60 units from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue were deployed to the scene to battle what Jadallah described as a "very complex fire," which originated in the engine compartments.

At the same time, a search-and-rescue operation was launched to extract the pilot and co-pilot, who were trapped inside the cockpit, while a technical rescue team worked on what authorities called a "complex extraction" of people trapped in the vehicles the aircraft struck upon impact. As of Sunday night, emergency crews were also still responding to an active fuel leak at the crash site.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel confirmed that the flight was operated by 21 Air and that the aircraft was landing when the accident occurred.

"We're heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today's incident at Miami International Airport. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss," said Nantel.

The accident forced the complete closure of the airport's runways and taxiways. According to an airport spokesperson, by 5:00 p.m., two of the four runways had reopened, but operations continued to face delays that, according to notices issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), were expected to last until early Monday morning.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has already dispatched a team of investigators to the scene. Together with the FAA, the agencies will determine the exact cause of the accident. Meanwhile, a hotline has been set up so that family members of those potentially affected can check in and obtain information about the ongoing investigation.