At least nine people have died after a UPS cargo plane
crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening,
with officials warning the toll could rise as rescue operations continue.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, bound for Hawaii, went
down at about 5:15 p.m. (2215 GMT) shortly after takeoff, bursting into flames
as it slammed into several businesses adjacent to the airport.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear described the tragedy
as “heartbreaking” and “unimaginable.”
“The number of those lost has now risen to at least
nine, with the possibility of more,”
Beshear posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Right now these families need prayers,
love and support.”
The governor added that 16 families had reported loved
ones missing as search and rescue teams worked through the night.
Aerial footage showed thick black smoke rising from a
trail of burning debris as firefighters battled the blaze.
UPS confirmed that three crew members were on board
the aircraft but said it had not yet confirmed casualties, calling the incident
“devastating” for the company’s global logistics family.
The crash is believed to be the deadliest in UPS
history. The company’s Worldport hub, located in Louisville, employs thousands
and handles millions of packages daily. Sorting operations were temporarily halted
following the crash.
Airport spokesman Jonathan Bevin said the aircraft went
down about three miles (five kilometers) south of the airfield, striking a petroleum
recycling facility “pretty directly,” according to Governor Beshear.
By early Wednesday, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg
confirmed that flights had resumed, though a section of the area remained
cordoned off as investigators from the FAA and NTSB began examining the
wreckage.
Video shared by local station WLKY appeared to show
the left engine on fire moments before the aircraft failed to gain altitude.
The crash comes amid the longest U.S. government
shutdown in history, which has strained federal aviation resources. Earlier
Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of “mass chaos” in
air travel due to air traffic controller shortages.
In January, a mid-air collision between an American
Eagle passenger jet and a U.S. military helicopter near Washington D.C. killed 67
people, breaking the nation’s 16-year streak without a fatal commercial crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National
Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of Tuesday’s disaster.
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