At least 7 dead, 11 hurt after UPS plane explodes during takeoff in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- At least seven people are dead and 11 more hurt after a UPS cargo plane caught fire during takeoff on Tuesday and exploded at Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport. 

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said UPS Flight 2976 from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International to Honolulu had a "catastrophic crash" around 5:15 p.m. central time.

Beshear said he expects the death and injury toll to grow. At least two victims of the crash were in critical condition.

Video, which can be viewed above, showed flames on the plane's left wing and a trail of smoke. The plane, an MD-11, then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball. 

Two business just south of the airport were impacted by the plane and its debris.

"It may be some time until we can account for everyone," he said. 

Louisville Fire Chief Brian O'Neill said every building in the area was by searched by emergency responders looking for potential survivors trapped in the rubble.

Officials said at least 100 firefighters were on scene battling flames from the crash. Resources poured in from area departments including the state capital of Lexington. 

As of 9:15 p.m. central time, officials said most of the fire had been contained.

An initial shelter-in-place was put in place for most of the city of 640,000. As of 8 p.m. CT, it had been reduced to an area about 1-mile around the crash site. Louisville's airport (SDF) is situated in the southern part of the city.

Beshear said the plane was carrying 38,000 gallons of fuel and the impact to several of the businesses in the path could create an environmental issue.

A family renunciation center was set up at the police department's training center. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation and provide all updates.

Louisville is home to UPS' largest package handling facility, a hub that employs thousands of workers, has 300 daily flights, and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.

Louisville airport officials said all inbound and outbound flights have been suspended. Wednesday morning flights were also expected to be canceled, and delays were likely. 

Information in this story provided by WAND's sister station WDRB in Louisville.

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