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A UPS cargo plane crashed Tuesday at a Louisville, Kentucky airport where the company operates its largest package delivery hub.
The crash killed at least seven people, according to the governor, and injured at least 11.
The wreck, about three miles south of the airfield, caused a massive fire and smoke plume.
Here are the key details to know about this active emergency incident:
Plane carrying three crashes after departure, causing seven deaths
The UPS MD-11 aircraft crashed around 5.15pm local time shortly after the plane departed the airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The wreck of Flight 2976 killed seven people, according to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Four of the confirmed deaths involved individuals who were not on the plane, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said Tuesday.
UPS said Tuesday three individuals were on the crew of the jet that crashed but their status is unconfirmed.
At least 11 were injured in the disaster, with officials warning death and injury counts could rise as more details become available about the incident.
Crash pauses operations at Louisville airport
A runway remains operational at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, but flights departing Tuesday have been cancelled, according to the Louisville police.
The airport will be open on Wednesday, Mayor Greenberg said.
UPS uses the airport as a key distribution hub, and the company announced Tuesday night it had suspended package sorting operations for the day.
The company has also halted all operations planned for Wednesday at the facility, the Louisville Courier Journal reports.
Investigators to probe cause of fiery crash
Federal officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will probe the crash.
The NTSB will lead the investigation, and a “go-team” from the agency will arrive in Louisville on Wednesday.
The team will consist of 28 investigators, per the mayor.
The UPS hub near the site of Tuesday’s crash
UPS’s Worldport delivery hub, the company’s largest, is based at the airport where the crash took place.
The facility processes 2 million packages per day, employs about 20,000 people, and serves 200 countries.
More than 300 flights take off and land from Worldport each day.
In 2022, the company announced plans to expand the facility by building out a hangar with room for two 747 jets and eight flight simulators, as well as facilities for the UPS’s healthcare-focused delivery division.
UPS is the largest employer in the area.
Massive fire ‘contained and controlled’ as responders search for victims
The crash initially caused a massive fire which sent black smoke into the air.
The initial fire sparked secondary explosions in fuel tanks near the airport.
More than 100 firefighters responded to the incident and the blaze is now “contained and controlled,” according to Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O’Neill.
Firefighters are now going “grid-by-grid” searching for low-level remnants of the fire and any survivors or deceased people.
“This incident is going to be going on for a while,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The cargo jet that crashed was not carrying hazardous material, and particulate monitors are not turning up any “adverse readings,” Jodie Meiman, executive director at Louisville Emergency Management, said Tuesday night at a press conference.
Damage reported at nearby businesses
The crash damaged at least two businesses near the airport.
Gov. Beshear said during a Tuesday press conference that Kentucky Petroleum Recycling was hit “directly.”
Another business, Grade A Auto Parts, was also impacted.
The known employees on hand at both businesses are thought to be accounted for, Mayor Greenberg said Tuesday, though he acknowledged officials may not be aware of all of those who are missing yet.
A nearby Ford plant was not impacted, Beshear said earlier Tuesday, calling the news a “blessing,” given the number of employees inside at the time.
Officials order residents to remain in place and avoid swarming hospitals
A shelter-in-place order is in effect for a one-mile radius around the crash site.
Louisville residents have been warned not to disturb any crash debris they encounter and are instructed to report it to local officials.
Emergency responders urged those seeking missing family members not to go to area hospitals and instead visit a family information center that has been set up at 2911 Taylor Boulevard.
With reporting from The Associated Press.