LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A UPS cargo plane’s left wing caught fire and an engine fell off just before it crashed and exploded after takeoff in Kentucky, a federal official said Wednesday, offering the first investigative details about a disaster that killed at least 12 people, including a child.

Finding survivors seemed unlikely as first responders searched the charred area of the crash at UPS Worldport, the company’s global aviation hub in Louisville , Gov. Andy Beshear said. The inferno consumed the enormous aircraft and spread to nearby businesses.

After being cleared for takeoff, a large fire developed in the left wing, said Todd Inman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation. The NTSB will now try to determine what caused the fire and

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