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US Plane Crash Today: A large UPS cargo plane with three people aboard crashed and exploded on Tuesday while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky, leaving at least seven people dead and scores of people injured.

Those numbers are expected to grow, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said. The plane crashed about 5:15 pm (local time) as it was departing for Honolulu from Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Horrific video of plane crash captured on cam

Video showed flames on the plane's left wing and a trail of smoke. The plane then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball. Video also revealed portions of a building's shredded roof next to the end of the runway.

“We're asking all Kentuckians to pray for those who have been impacted," Beshear told The Associated Press.

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Rescue operation on

The crash has drawn a massive response, including from police and fire agencies, and because of the flames, some responders “have had to shelter behind different things", Beshear said.
“It is still a very dangerous situation with different flammables or potentially explosive materials,” Beshear said.

Mayor Craig Greenberg told WLKY-TV that fuel on the plane was an “extreme reason for concern in so many different ways".

UPS plane involved in the accident

UPS's largest package handling facility is in Louisville. The hub employs thousands of workers, has 300 daily flights and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.

"At approximately 5:20 PM ET tonight, UPS Flight 2976 from Louisville, KY, to Honolulu, an MD-11 with three crewmembers onboard, was involved in an accident in Louisville. At this time, we have not confirmed any injuries/casualties," UPS said in a statement released after the crash.

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"UPS will release more facts as they become available, but the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information about the official investigation. Family members seeking information should call 800-631-0604," it added.

A shelter-in-place order was extended to all areas north of the airport to the Ohio River. The Louisville airport is only a 10-minute drive from the city's downtown, which sits on the river bordering the Indiana state line. There are residential areas, a water park and museums in the area.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 airplane owned by UPS was manufactured in 1991.

(With inputs from agency)

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