US authorities have warned people to take shelter indoors after a cargo plane crashed shortly after take-off, amid fears the death toll was likely to rise.
Footage posted to social media showed the UPS plane with its wing on fire, crashing and exploding in a fireball shortly after taking off from Louisville airport at 5:14pm local time on Tuesday (9:14am AEDT on Wednesday).
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said at least seven people were killed and several more injured, but he expected that number to rise.
Several buildings in an industrial area beyond the runway caught fire after the crash, sending thick black smoke billowing into the evening air.
Authorities said the fire had caused environmental pollution and warned everyone within a 5-mile radius of the airport to take shelter indoors while firefighters tackled the blaze.
Fire and smoke trails where a UPS cargo plane crashed Tuesday night near the Louisville airport. Source: Getty / Stefan Cohen
“Please stay away from the area. Let those first responders do their job to ensure the scene is as safe as possible,” Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey said at a news conference.
Beshear said the death toll is likely to rise.
“Right now we believe there have been at least three fatalities. I think that number will increase. We have at least 11 injuries, some very significant, and they are being treated by local hospitals,” he said.
“Anyone who has seen the footage in the video knows how violent this crash is.”
The cargo plane was en route to Honolulu, Hawaii, and there was no hazardous material on board the plane.
The airport is home to UPS Worldport, a global hub for the company’s air freight operations and the largest package handling facility in the world.
— With reporting by Reuters news agency.
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