A UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after take off, erupting into a massive fireball near the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport in Kentucky, leaving at least seven dead and 11 injured, the state’s governor, Andy Beshear, said. Beshear said he expects those numbers to grow.
Flames from the crash ignited a string of fires on the ground in an industrial corridor adjacent to the international airport, apparently accounting for one of the confirmed fatalities and the injuries of 11 people, who according to airport officials were taken to hospital.
The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, had three crew members on board and crashed around 5.15pm local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It was bound for Honolulu.
Beshear said early on that he believes there were at least three fatalities, but that number would increase as emergency crews parse through the debris. He added that the crash took place near two businesses: a recycling center, which took a direct hit, and an auto parts shop where all but two employees were accounted for. Their identities will be released soon, Beshear added.
The governor said there was no hazardous cargo onboard the aircraft.