Plane carrying 126 people catches fire after landing gear collapses on Miami runway
Red Air flight was arriving from Dominican Republic when dramatic incident took place
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A plane carrying 126 people caught fire when its landing gear collapsed on the runway at Miami International Airport, according to officials.
The dramatic incident took place when a Red Air flight arrived from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, said Miami-Dade Aviation Department spokesman Greg Chin.
Authorities said three people received minor injuries and were taken to the hospital for treatment. The remaining passengers were bussed from the site of the accident to the terminal.
The plane was arriving from Santo Domingo at around 5.30pm when the incident took place.
The plane collided with several objects after veering off the runway, including a crane tower and a small building in the area, reported 7News.
The remnants of a radar tower could be seen wrapped around one of the plane’s wings in a photo.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 and it will send a team of investigators to the incident site on Wednesday.
“Fire crews have placed the fire under control and are mitigating fuel spillage,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue posted on Twitter.
Social media videos taken by other passengers landing at the airport showed the airplane had been doused with white chemical foam by firefighters.
Other videos showed terrified passengers fleeing the blaze as firefighters got the fire under control.
“I thought I was going to die,” Paola Garcia told 7News.
“All the windows were broken, and someone like, broke his leg and arm,” she said, adding that she ran to the exit as soon as the plane came to a stop and made her way to the tarmac as black smoke billowed.
“I started running and I jumped, and I thought it was going to explode.”
The plane appeared to have come to rest near a grassy area by the side of the runway.
Some flights were delayed due to the fire, airport officials said.
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