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MIA Passengers Grounded By Lighting & Computer Failures

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Passengers were forced to wait Sunday night as a computer failure and lightning issue hit the busy Miami International Airport.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection's computer failure was in the passport-control system and forced hundreds of international travelers to wait in an extra-long lines.

Shortly after the computer failure Sunday evening, airport official Greg Chin told CBS4 that the runway lights outside went out affecting two runways around 8:20 p.m.

It was nearly impossible for planes that had already landed to taxi to their gates, and for those still in the air to land on those runways.

The passport control room which processes roughly 2,000 arriving passengers per hour, filled to capacity and beyond.

A much slower backup system was used to get travelers to where they were going.

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