A UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded shortly after taking off from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Nov. 4, killing at least nine and injuring 11 others, according to AP News.
The crash occurred at 5:15 p.m., and the plane was headed to Honolulu from the UPS global aviation hub at Louisville International Airport.
As of 11:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, Gov. Beshear declared a state of emergency following the crash, according to the Courier Journal.
The airport was shutdown until Wednesday morning, and a shelter-in-place was issued for areas north of it, AP News reported.
The explosion impacted two buildings: Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and an auto parts store, according to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
A statement on Kentucky.gov from Beshear said he met with emergency management officials and first responders in Louisville to provide an update.
“Folks, this is a catastrophic event and there are a lot of people hurting who need our love and support,” Beshear said in the statement. “Let’s please pray for all those affected, and for the dedicated first responders who will be working around the clock to help keep our community safe. Remember: We are in this together, Kentucky.”
The 11 injured people, according to Beshear, are being treated at hospitals in Louisville.
Beshear posted that “16 families have reported loved ones unaccounted for,” and the death toll could grow.
Flight instructor Britney Howard, a University of Kentucky and Kentucky Kernel alumna, was at Bowman Field, a public airport in Louisville, at the time of the crash.
“Yeah definitely kind of like an ominous feeling. You look at a cloud of smoke that big and that dark and you just know something really awful has happened,” Howard said. “It’s just so much bigger than anything. It’s very surreal, seeing something like that happen so close to you.”
Bowman Field is about seven miles northeast of Louisville International Airport, according to Google Maps.
Howard said she was on the ground and waiting to fly back to Lexington when the crash occurred.
“I was sitting there kind of in disbelief watching the smoke blow over the building where I was at, and you start to smell it,” Howard said. “Then I started remembering, like I actually know somebody who works over there, and it’s just crazy.”
Howard said Louisville is a popular hub for Kentuckians flying out of state.
“Louisville’s an airport that most people in Kentucky have flown out of so many times,” Howard said. “I think you’re going to find it’s just really personal for a lot of your students and a lot of people because it just feels really close to home.”