A UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded in a huge fireball on Tuesday during takeoff from the company's global air hub in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least seven people and injuring 11 others, authorities said.
At least 7 people died PHOTO Video capture X
The crash happened around 5:15 p.m. as the plane was preparing to take off for Honolulu from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, home to the UPS Worldport hub, according to AFP.
The aircraft rose slightly from the ground, then crashed and exploded in a huge fireball. The footage also shows pieces of the torn roof of a building at the end of the runway.
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The death toll rose to at least seven by Tuesday evening, and four of the victims were not on board the plane, according to officials.
Of the 11 people injured, some suffered “very serious” injuries, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said.
Beshear added that the condition of the three crew members aboard the aircraft, a 1991 McDonnell Douglas MD-11, was not yet known.
UPS announced late Tuesday that it had suspended package sorting at its Louisville logistics center — the company's largest — without specifying when it would resume. The hub has thousands of employees, operates around 300 daily flights and processes over 400,000 parcels per hour.
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Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the investigation is being coordinated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which will send 28 experts to the scene.
Meanwhile, the airport was closed and was not expected to resume operations until Wednesday morning.
