LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded in a massive fireball while taking off from the company’s global aviation hub in Louisville, Ky. killing at least seven people and injuring 11, authorities said.
The plane crashed about 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday as it was departing for Honolulu from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Video showed flames on the plane’s left wing and a trail of smoke. The plane then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball. Video also revealed portions of a building’s shredded roof next to the end of the runway.
At Least Seven Confirmed Dead
The death toll had risen to at least seven Tuesday night, and four of those killed were not on the plane, officials said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he expects the death toll to increase. Eleven people were also hurt, some of whom had “very significant” injuries, he said.
“Anybody who has seen the images, the video, knows how violent this crash is,” he said.
Beshear said he didn’t know the status of the three crew members aboard the plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 made in 1991.
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