At least seven people are believed to have died, and 11 others were injured after a UPS plane crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, exploding into flames.

The explosion impacted a petroleum recycling centre and an auto parts business, with authorities dealing with an “active situation”, as fears of further explosions remain.

UPS flight 2976 from Louisville, KY to Honolulu, an MD-11 aircraft, crashed during takeoff around 5.15pm (local time) on Tuesday, sparking an enormous emergency response.

A shelter-in-place order was issued for the surrounding areas. Jet fuel spilled around a densely populated industrial zone, and the fire continues to burn hours after the crash.

Kentucky Governor Adam Beshear provided a harrowing update on the “catastrophic crash”

See Full Page