A UPS plane has crashed in Kentucky soon after taking off from Louisville’s airport, triggering a fiery explosion.
According to Sky News, at least seven people have died, while eleven others were injured, after a cargo plane crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening, November 04.
The pictures and video of the scene showed large burning fires and thick black clouds of smoke blowing in the air.
Speaking at the news conference following the tragic and "catastrophic" incident, Kentucky governor Andy Beshear warned that the number of casualties could rise.
He also urged residents to follow all the orders and precautionary measures announced by the authorities during the “tough” night for the city.
Beshear wrote on X, “The news out of Louisville is tough tonight, as the death toll has now reached at least 7, with that number expected to rise. First responders are on-site and working hard to extinguish the fire and continue the investigation.”
As per the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 plane bound for Honolulu in Hawaii came down at around 5.15pm local time.
Meanwhile, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said that more than 100 firefighters from across the region are working on the scene to ensure the safety of the residents.
Fire Department Chief Brian O’Neill revealed that the plane hit “secondary explosions” at a petroleum recycling facility in the area where it crashed.
He told media, “There are some storage tanks there that have propane and oil. Some of those have ruptured. You might have heard there were some secondary explosions … Some of those were small tanks.”
O’Neill declared that the fire is “controlled and contained,” but there will be a mess because of fuel leaks and oil.
