At least 3 dead, 11 hurt after UPS plane crashes in Kentucky

Contents of the article

LOUISVILLE, KY. A UPS cargo plane crashed Tuesday and exploded in a huge fireball as it took off from the company's global aviation hub in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least three people and injuring 11. Those numbers are likely to rise, the state's governor said.

Contents of the article

The plane crashed about 5:15 p.m. while taking off for Honolulu from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

Contents of the article

Contents of the article

“Right now we believe we have at least three fatalities, although I believe that number will rise. We have at least 11 injuries, some of them very serious,” Gov. Andy Beshear said.

The video shows flames on the left wing of the plane and a trail of smoke. The plane then lifted off the ground slightly before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball. The video also shows parts of the collapsed roof of a building near the end of the runway.

“Anyone who has seen the images and video knows how violent this accident is,” Beshear said.

He said he did not know the status of the three crew members aboard the 1991 McDonnell Douglas MD-11.

Contents of the article

Contents of the article

UPS's largest package processing facility is located in Louisville. The hub employs thousands of employees, operates 300 flights daily and sorts more than 400,000 parcels per hour.

“We all know someone who works for UPS,” said Louisville Metro Council member Betsy Ruhe. “And they're all texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure everyone is safe. Unfortunately, some of those messages will probably go unanswered. My heart goes out to those families and those friends.”

In a brief statement, UPS acknowledged the crash and said the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate.

Meanwhile, the airport has been closed and is not expected to reopen until Wednesday morning.

“We don't know how long it will take to make this place safe,” Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey said.

Contents of the article

The governor said Kentucky Petroleum Recycling appears to have been “directly impacted,” and a nearby auto parts manufacturing facility was also affected.

The video, shot by Leirim Rodriguez, shows several massive fireballs exploding into the sky in a row, followed by large billowing clouds of black smoke. Rodriguez told the AP that she and her husband happened to be in the area at the time of the explosion.

Tom Brooks Jr., who runs a metal recycling business down the street, said the sheer scale of the disaster “just shook the whole place.”

“It was huge. I mean, it literally looked like a war zone,” he said.

Destin Mitchell said she was working as a host at a restaurant in the outback, about 15 minutes from the crash site, when she heard a loud crash. There were about 20 people in the restaurant.

Contents of the article

“The mood in the restaurant was very bad,” Mitchell said. “Everyone is really worried. People who were just sitting down to eat were getting up and leaving in less than 30 minutes, packing their food because they wanted to hurry up and get home.”

The stay-at-home order was extended to all areas north of the airport to the Ohio River. Louisville Airport is just a 10-minute drive from downtown, located on the banks of the river bordering the Indiana state line. The area has residential areas, a water park and museums.

Golden reported from Seattle. AP reporters Ed White in Detroit, John Raby in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, and Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

Contents of the article