(LOUSIVILLE, Ky.) — At least three people are dead after a UPS aircraft crashed upon departing the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, officials said Tuesday, sending a massive plume of smoke into the air and leading authorities to urge residents of a large swath of the nearby area to shelter in place following the fiery crash.
At least 11 people were injured, some with “very significant” injuries,” according to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who said he believes the number of casualties will increase following the “catastrophic crash.”
Video captured the moment the plane — loaded up with thousands of gallons of fuel for a long-distance flight to Hawaii — crashed, resulting in a large fireball.
Two businesses were impacted by the crash, Beshear said.
Three crew members were on board the plane, according to UPS, which said it has not confirmed any injuries among the crew.
“We do not, at the moment, have the status of the crew,” Beshear said during a press briefing Tuesday. “Watching that video, I think we’re all very, very worried about them.”
One business, Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, appears to have been “hit pretty directly,” while another business, Grade A Auto Parts, was also impacted, Beshear said. Two employees from Grade A Auto Parts were unaccounted for, he said.
“It may be some time before we can account for everyone or know that no one else was on the grounds,” Beshear said.
UofL Health said it received 10 patients in the airport incident, two of whom were in critical condition in a burn center.
A shelter-in-place was initially issued within 5 miles of the airport and subsequently expanded to all areas north of the airport to the Ohio River, police said. The shelter-in-place has since been reduced to a 1-mile radius of the airport, officials said Tuesday night.
Jefferson County Public Schools said all schools will be closed on Wednesday due to the shelter-in-place order.
“This is an active scene with fire and debris. Stay away,” the Louisville Metro Police Department said on social media.
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Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg called the incident an “incredible tragedy that our community will never forget” and said the city has “every emergency agency responding to the scene.”
“There are multiple injuries and the fire is still burning,” he said on social media. “There are many road closures in the area — please avoid the scene.”
UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter plane was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, the agency said.
It appears there was an engine issue during takeoff, sources told ABC News.
The plane was carrying approximately 220,000 pounds of jet fuel, which is about 38,000 gallons, officials said.
UPS said it has been “notified of an incident/accident involving one of our aircraft” in Louisville.
The airport is home to UPS Worldport, the company’s massive package handling facility.
Boeing, which acquired McDonnell Douglas in 1997, said,” Our concern is for the safety and well-being of all those affected.”
“We stand ready to support our customer and have offered technical assistance to the NTSB,” it said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
The airport confirmed there was an “aircraft incident” and that the airfield is closed.
The FAA said the airport is closed until at least 7 a.m. Wednesday. The agency has also issued temporary flight restrictions within a 5 nautical miles radius over the airport, with only relief aircraft operations permitted.
Authorities said they expect the scene to be active for the next several days.
There wasn’t any hazardous cargo on board the plane, according to Beshear.
ABC News’ Luke Barr, Sam Sweeney and Ayesha Ali contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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