Amazon cargo plane crashes off Miami airport runway, kills at least 5

Flights at the Miami International Airport resume taking off Sunday evening after an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane barreled off the runway earlier in the day.

Officials say five people have been killed while five others are hospitalised, three of whom are in critical conditions.

An Amazon spokesperson says the company is "working closely with local authorities" to understand exactly what happened.

The Boeing 767-300 freighter, operated by cargo carrier 21 Air, departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico and crashed off the airport's runway number 30 at around 2pm on Sunday, hitting multiple vehicles on the ground.

It plowed across a road used by warehouse workers and other businesses before being engulfed by flames.

Plumes of thick smoke were seen rising from the complex engine compartment fire, trapping the pilot and copilot in the cockpit.

Some victims were stuck in cars, and one person had to be extricated from under a vehicle.

Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah says, "What we found was a very complex situation here. As you may have seen or may have heard the airplane did strike a couple of vehicles that required a couple of victims that were actually trapped in the vehicles. A very complex extrication with our technical rescue teams started to occur."

Over 60 emergency vehicles rushed to the scene.

Hundreds of personnel use foam from specialised airport firefighting units to battle the flames and are still tackling a fuel leak.

Images show the crashed plane, largely intact despite the fire, came to rest beside a roadway near two semi-trucks. Its right side bears what appears to be scorch marks.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says, "Today is an incredibly difficult day for all of us here in Miami-Dade County. Earlier today, we know that the Prime Air Flight 7598 overran the runway and we know that five people lost their lives and five others were injured."

The accident forced a ground stop at the US' third-busiest freight airport for much of the afternoon, with all the runways and taxiways closed.

By late Sunday, more than 160 flights were cancelled and nearly 325 delayed, some flights were diverted to nearby Orlando International Airport, officials say.

The cause has yet to be determined.

The US National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to investigate the accident and is slated to hold its first media briefing in Miami on Monday.

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