UPS plane crash death toll rises to at least 9, officials say

At least nine people are dead and more are injured after a UPS plane crashed on Tuesday as it was departing from Louisville, Kentucky, spurring a massive fireball and leaving a trail of destruction, officials 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,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said in a Wednesday morning post on X.

“Right now these families need prayers, love and support. Let’s wrap our arms around them during this unimaginable time.”

At a Wednesday press conference, Beshear thanked the approximately 200 law enforcement officers and 50 trucks who quickly responded to the crash that he said turned into a “blazing inferno.”

“I want to start by acknowledging the impressive work of so many fire departments that took what was a blazing inferno, created by a plane with 38,000 gallons of fuel, of aviation fuel, and we’re able to contain it,” he said.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg also confirmed in a Wednesday post on X that “responders have located 9 victims at the site of the UPS crash.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Greenberg was unable to confirm how many people died on the plane and how many died on the ground. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, had three crew members on board, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

UPS Flight 2976 crashed Tuesday evening as it departed Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport for Honolulu, according to the FAA.

Heather Fountaine, a spokesperson for the University of Louisville Health, said in a statement that it received 15 patients from the crash across several hospitals.

“As of this morning, 13 of those patients have been discharged,” the statement added. “Two patients remain in critical condition in the ICU at UofL Health — UofL Hospital.”

Video from the crash shows a large fireball and smoke plume erupting from the crash site. The plane had around 38,000 gallons of fuel on board, according to officials.

Sean Garber, who owns one of the businesses struck by the explosion, Grade A Auto Parts & Recycling, said four of his company’s 18 buildings were destroyed by the blast.

“There was a huge ball of fire and massive multiple explosions occurring all around and obviously people running and screaming,” he told NBC News.

Garber estimated that at least 20 people were in the buildings at the time of the explosion.

“People had to jump out windows of some of the offices because, because the heat had melted and blocked the doors,” he said.