Seven people were killed when a cargo plane crashed while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday night, the state’s governor said.
At least 11 people were injured when the cargo plane exploded as it took off from Louisville Ali International Airport at around 17:15 local time (22:15 GMT), sending thick plumes of black.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said that the three members of the plane’s crew are likely to be among the dead, adding that, “Anyone who has seen the images and video knows what a violent crash”.
Officials warned that people suffered “very significant” injuries in the incident and the death toll would rise.
UPS Flight 2976 bound for Honolulu, Hawaii carrying 38,000 gallons) of fuel skidded into Louisville and struck nearby buildings.
The blast engulfed at least two nearby businesses, including a petroleum recycling company. An order in-place was initially issued within five miles of the airport due to concerns over increased explosions and air pollution, but was later reduced to just one mile.
All scheduled flights for Tuesday night have been cancelled, the airport said in a statement to X.
Louisville Fire Dept. Chief Brian O’Neill said the fire was contained, with crews being dispatched to the crash site.
“When there is an incident of such a large scale and a fire that spreads over a large area, we have to use hundreds of personnel to surround it, contain it, and then slowly bring it out,” said O’Neill.
He added: “These are trained firefighters from all over the region who are in charge of searching, grid by grid, it’s good to be sure if we find any other victims.”
At a press conference, Beshear warned people not to go to the crash site, saying, “there are dangerous things that can burn.”
Beshear said he would not “speculate” what caused the incident, adding that the National Transportation Traffic Bureau (NTSB) is leading the investigation.
The NTSBs investigative investigation is scheduled to arrive in Kentucky on Wednesday.
Louisville Metro Police Dept. Chief Paul Humphrey said the crash site will be “an ongoing active scene for the next several days”.
He added: “We don’t know how long it will take to make the scene safe for investigation.”
The plane is an MD-11F, a triple-engine jet that began service 34 years ago with Thai Airways as a passenger jet, but was switched to passenger aircraft in 2006.
The MD-11F was originally developed by McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in 1997.
MD-11s are more than 61 meters long and have a wingspan of 52 meters, smaller than Boeing 747s, which are almost 76 meters long and have a wingspan of 68 meters.
In 2023, FedEx and UPS both announced plans to begin retiring their fleets of MD-11s over the next decade as part of plans to modernize their fleets.
In a statement, Boeing said it was “ready to support our customers” and that “our concern is for the safety and well-being of all those affected.”
It added that it would offer technical assistance to the NTSB.
RabaeLouisville is home to Worldport, a global hub for air cargo operations and the largest package handling facility in the world.
During the press conference, Louisville Metro Sopy Member Betsy Rehe said that the city is an “Ups Town”, and that every resident has someone who works for the company.
“They’re all texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure everyone’s safe,” he said.
In a statement, UP said it is “deeply culpable” for the incident and will slow down package processing operations at Worldport on Tuesday night.
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State senator Keturah Hermary said, “A lot of us look at our family members and loved ones [Louisville airport] on a regular basis. “
In a post on x, Louisville Mayor Craig Green Green said the plane crash was an “unbelievable tragedy that our community will never forget”.
He added: “We are very grateful to our brave first responders who flooded the scene to help try and contain the fire to any victims on the ground.”