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Three people died in a ball of fire after a cargo plane crashed during takeoff , before further disaster unfolded on the ground. The large UPS freight plane veered off the runway and burst into flames, and eyewitnesses have described horrifying scenes, with at least two businesses close to the Louisville International Airport engulfed in flames, including Grade A Autoparts and Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, which appears to have been “hit pretty directly" by the large UPS freight plane. At least seven people have died in total with more fatalities expected to follow. Gov Andy Beshear has warned that some of the injuries sustained are "very significant". With an investigation now underway, authorities have begun to piece together those final terrible moments before catastrophe struck. Unverified footage shows how UPS Flight 2976, which had 38,000 gallons of fuel (about 144,000 litres), was already ablaze when it skidded off the runway. Meanwhile, aviation attorney Pablo Rojas has told how it appeared the aircraft was struggling to gain altitude as a fire ripped through its left side, close to one of its engines. Bearing in mind the large amount of fuel the 34-year-old aircraft was carrying, once the fire erupted in this position, Rojas has argued that it would’ve been only a matter of time before there was an explosion or rapid spread of flames. He explained: “Really, the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb because of the amount of fuel.” Those on the ground have described the scenes of horror, including Louisville local Justin Dunn, who told KKTV that debris will have fallen as far as 10 miles from the impact zone. Holding up a charred piece of paper, Mr Dunn shared: "It fell out of the sky when I was working on the car, and that's when we found out about the crash. And then my son was like, 'Hey, look up in the sky', and it was coming down out of the sky when he picked the paper up. There's definitely debris all through here, probably within 10 miles." Meanwhile, New Albany resident Katie Didit told CNN that she'd been driving home from her job in Louisville when she heard the colossal explosion, and initially thought there might be a large building on fire. She recalled: “I heard a sound similar to a [jake] brake on a semi, but I just assumed it was heavy Louisville traffic ahead,” Didit told CNN. As the dark smoke clouded her windshield, Ms Didit recorded a video on her phone, remembering how the sky had become “completely black” downtown within 10 minutes of the footage being captured. Taking to Facebook , Kentucky Truck Parts & Service spoke of how the plane crashed “just 500 feet away from our business", with footage taken by an employee capturing the harrowing aftermath. The post read: “Thank God our team and employees are alive, but many of our neighbours and people in the surrounding area were hurt, and properties were badly damaged." UPS has released the following statement in response to the incident: "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. "We are engaged with the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation of the accident and are staying in close contact with the Federal Aviation Administration. We will work tirelessly with state and local authorities on response efforts." Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
