A United Parcel Service (UPS) McDonnell Douglas MD-11F airplane crashed on Tuesday shortly after departing from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The airplane crash left 9 dead and 15 injured.
In a Tuesday press release, UPS announced, “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.”
According to Fox News, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials confirmed that the UPS airplane had departed from Louisville and was traveling to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, while loaded with over 200,000 pounds of fuel at the time of the crash.
In a Wednesday morning update regarding Tuesday’s UPS airplane crash, Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) said, “Kentucky, more heartbreaking news out of Louisville. The number of those lost has now risen to at least 9, with the possibility of more. Right now these families need prayers, love and support. Let’s wrap our arms around them during this unimaginable time.”
According to CNN, UofLHealth confirmed that 15 patients were treated at multiple hospitals for injuries stemming from Tuesday’s airplane crash and that 13 of the patients had been discharged as of Wednesday. The outlet noted that two individuals are currently still in critical condition due to burns sustained in the crash.
Fox News reported that Beshear told reporters on Wednesday that he is declaring a state of emergency to help with recovery efforts. The Kentucky governor also indicated that he is “fairly confident” the death toll will rise in the aftermath of the crash.
In a Tuesday evening statement addressing the airplane crash, UPS said, “We are terribly saddened by the accident tonight in Louisville. Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved. UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers.”
UPS confirmed that the company is cooperating with an investigation into the accident led by the National Transportation Safety Board.
A video of Tuesday’s incident shows the UPS airplane crashing and bursting into flames shortly after taking off from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
WARNING: EPLICIT LANGUAGE:
