At least seven killed in UPS cargo plane crash at Louisville airport in US

A large, wide-body UPS cargo plane crashed while it was taking off from a Louisville, Kentucky airport, igniting an enormous fire and injuring “multiple people” on the ground, according to authorities.

According to a statement from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), UPS Flight 2976 crashed on Tuesday at around 5:15 p.m. local time (22:00 GMT).

No details about any casualties or injuries were disclosed in the initial statement from UPS, which stated that three crew members were present.

Four of the seven confirmed fatalities were not on the aircraft, according to the Associated Press news agency.

After earlier claiming that three people had been confirmed dead and that the death toll was anticipated to rise, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said, “Anyone who has seen the images, the video, knows how violent this crash is.”

“We have at least 11 injuries being treated by neighborhood hospitals, some of which are very serious.” I believe that number will increase, Beshear said once more.

Additionally, Beshear stated that the FAA will assist in the launch of an investigation into the crash.

A large fire was blasted onto the crash site by firefighters, who were filmed on aerial footage, showing a long trail of debris and smoke billowing from the scene.

Beshear claimed that the plane veered off into two nearby auto parts companies and a petroleum recycling company.

A UPS plane crashes at Louisville Airport in an aftermath | Click on the image to read the full report: https://t.co/rKvXXrmvt.

A “shelter-in-place” notice was issued for all locations within an 8km (5 miles) of the airport, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department’s post on social media.

Every emergency agency is responding to the scene, according to the statement. Mayor of Louisville Craig Greenberg stated in a social media post that there are numerous injuries and that the fire is still burning.

According to Greenberg, “the area has many road closures; please avoid the scene.” The collision was described as “an incredible tragedy” for the local community.

With thousands of employees and about 300 cargo flights scheduled each day, UPS Worldport is a global hub for the company’s air cargo operations, which is reportedly the largest package handling facility in the world.

According to the FAA, the plane was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 that was taking off from Louisville for Honolulu, Hawaii.

The plane had previously flown from Louisville to Baltimore on Tuesday before returning to Louisville, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

The airfield was declared closed following the incident by the Louisville airport.