- At least seven people were killed in a UPS plane crash in Louisville.
- The cause of the plane crash is not yet known, an investigation is underway.
- Airport operations were suspended.
At least seven people were killed and 11 injured when a UPS plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday, officials said. The cause of the accident is still unknown. TASR informs about it according to AP and BBC reports.
The accident occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. local time (11:15 p.m. CET) as the plane departed for Honolulu from UPS’s main logistics hub at Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville. The images show the left wing of the plane engulfed in flames. The plane rose slightly from the ground, then crashed and exploded. The video also revealed parts of the torn roof of the building near the end of the runway.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated that three crew members are likely to be among the dead. 11 people are injured, some of them, according to him, suffered serious injuries. UPS said it had no confirmed information about casualties or injuries. However, the company confirmed reports of the accident in a brief statement and said the investigation would be led by the National Transportation Safety Board. The airport suspended operations, which he will likely resume on Wednesday morning local time, AP reports.
Beshear said the crash also appeared to hit the headquarters of a petroleum products recycling company and a nearby auto parts operation. Two employees of this car company were missing on Tuesday evening. The number of customers who were in the premises at the time of the accident is also unknown.
The authorities are investigating this incident and its cause is still unknown. However, officials said that the extensive fire was caused by the amount of fuel in the plane, which was preparing for a 6,920-kilometer long flight. At the time of the accident, there were 144,000 liters of fuel in the plane. The authorities have not yet confirmed what cargo was on board the crashed plane. However, according to them, it was not carrying anything that could increase the risk of contamination, reports the BBC.
Beshear at a press conference warned people not to approach the accident site. According to this American news agency, the airport in Louisville is only a ten-minute drive from the city center. There are residential areas, a water park and museums nearby.
