At least 7 dead after UPS plane crashes during takeoff at Louisville airport

At least seven people died when a UPS plane took off from Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday afternoon, sparking a massive fire and crashing into the area of ​​two businesses, authorities said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said UPS Flight 2976 crashed while leaving Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport with three crew members on board around 5:15 p.m.

Governor Andy Beshear kills at least seven people X said Tuesday night“This number is expected to increase.” He said earlier that at least 11 people were injured.

Beshear called the incident a “catastrophic accident.” He said the plane crashed near the airport and that an oil recycling business and an auto parts business were located in the area hit.

That includes all but two employees of the auto parts business, “but they don’t know how many other people, customers or anyone else, were in the facility at the time,” Beshear said.

“Due to the nature of these facilities, it may take some time before we can account to everyone or know that there is no one else in the area,” he said.

The FAA said the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 plane was headed for Honolulu. Crashed “while leaving the West Circuit” to the airport.

The crash happened 3 miles south of the airport, airport spokesman Officer Johnathan Biven said.

Video from the scene It showed a large fire and a large cloud of black smoke rising from the scene of the accident. Officials said the plane had about 38,000 gallons of fuel on board.

Louisville Metro Emergency Services Director Edward Meiman said authorities are going door to door to make sure everyone at businesses and facilities is accounted for and leaves the area.

“Obviously everyone can see how big this site really is,” Meiman said. “There were many explosions after the accident,” he said.

Beshear said officials do not believe there was any cargo on board that would cause an environmental impact. However, he said that the area where the accident occurred could have an environmental impact. He urged people to follow shelter-in-place orders.

police said People in areas north of the Outer Loop to the Ohio River must shelter in place.

The shelter-in-place order initially included a 5-mile radius, and Meiman said the fire was so hot it was “kind of creating its own atmosphere and doing what it really wanted to do.”

UPS has a large presence in Louisville. UPS Air Operations is headquartered in the city where its headquarters is also located.

UPS began its night air service in 1982 with its headquarters at the airport, known by the letters SDF.

UPS is the largest employer in the Louisville area, and the company employs about 25,000 people there. Approximately 400 flights arrive and depart from the city center every day it says on its website.

The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA will investigate, the agencies said. The NTSB said it would send a team to the site.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in x He described the footage from Kentucky as “heartbreaking.”

“Please join me in praying for the Louisville community and the flight crew affected by this horrific accident,” he wrote.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., he said on facebook He said he and his team were monitoring the situation. “I would like to thank the first responders at the scene. I encourage everyone in the area to follow emergency and law enforcement instructions,” he said.

The Louisville Metro Police Department says it will open its training academy for victim reunification services.

Beshear asked Kentuckians to pray for those affected and to support those concerned about their loved ones.

“Everyone who has seen the footage and video knows how severe this crash was, and there are a lot of families who will be waiting and wondering for a while,” he said. “We will try to get this information to them as quickly as possible.”

The area affected by the crash was about a city block and included an auto parts department as well as a fuel recycling depot and some bulk fuel tanks, causing difficulties for firefighters, said Louisville Fire Chief Brian C. O’Neill.

The fire was brought under control Tuesday night, O’Neill said.

“There will still be turmoil in this area,” he said.

Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey said he expects the area to be “an ongoing, active crime scene for the next several days” and that he doesn’t know when it will be safe enough for investigators to enter.

UPS said it stopped package sorting operations at its Worldport airport facility Tuesday night. Family members who want information can call 800-631-0604.

“We are deeply sorry for the accident that occurred in Louisville this evening. Our deepest thoughts are with everyone involved,” the company said. he said in a statement.

This article was first published on: NBCNews.com