At least seven dead after cargo plane crashes and explodes in Kentucky

Operations have been suspended at the nearby package-handling facility after the crash

At least seven people have died after a cargo plane exploded into a fireball in Kentucky, with the death toll expected to rise.

Authorities say eleven people were injured in the blast, which happened as the aircraft was taking off from Louisville International Airport on Tuesday.

Four of those killed were not on the plane, according to officials.

Flames and a trail of smoke could be seen coming from the plane’s left wing during takeoff. Footage showed it lifting slightly off the ground before crashing back down.

The UPS aircraft was taking off from the company’s global aviation hub in Louisville and was bound for Honolulu.

A plume of smoke rises from the site of the crash. / Credit: AP

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he expects the death toll to increase, and said some of those hurt had “very significant” injuries.

“Anybody who has seen the images, the video, knows how violent this crash is,” he said.

Beshear said he didn’t know the status of the three crew members aboard the plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 made in 1991.

UPS announced it had halted package sorting at its centre in Louisville, the company’s largest package handling facility.

Emergency services responding near the scene of the crash. / Credit: AP

The hub employs thousands of workers, has 300 daily flights and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.

Betsy Ruhe, a member of Louisville Metro Council, said: “We all know somebody who works at UPS.

“And they’re all texting their friends, their family, trying to make sure everyone is safe. Sadly, some of those texts are probably going to go unanswered.”

The airport was closed and not expected to resume operations until Wednesday morning.

“We don’t know how long it’s going to take to render that scene safe,” said Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey.

The governor said a business, Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, appeared to be “hit pretty directly,” and a nearby auto parts operation was also affected.

The airport is only a ten-minute drive from the Louisville city centre, with residential areas, a water park and museums in the area.