At least three people were killed and 11 injured when a UPS cargo plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, causing a massive fireball shortly after takeoff, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said at a press briefing Tuesday.
“We believe there have been at least three deaths. I believe the number is going to be larger,” Beshear said. “Anyone who has seen the pictures in the video knows how violent this accident is”.
According to UPS, there were three crew members on board the plane.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg also confirmed the deaths in a post on Twitter, and said the “injured” were “being treated at area hospitals.”
What do we know so far about the accident?
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the plane crashed at about 5:15 p.m. local time (2215 GMT).
“The plane crashed after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky,” the FAA said in a statement.
UPS said the US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what happened.
The flight was taking off and headed for Honolulu, Hawaii.
CBS affiliate broadcaster WLKY showed footage of the crash. One wing of the plane was on fire and a large ball of fire erupted as soon as it hit the ground. Following the crash several buildings in an industrial area beyond the runway caught fire, and a thick plume of smoke rose into the evening sky, visible from miles away.
Louisville Metro Emergency Services said it had issued a shelter-in-place order for all locations within five miles (8 kilometers) of the airport.
Edited by: Srinivas Majumdaru