'Heartbreaking day': Death toll rises to seven after cargo plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky

Seven people have died and another 11 have been injured after a United Parcel Services (UPS) MD-11 plane crashed shortly after takeoff near the international airport in Louisville, Kentucky.

UPS Flight 2976 crashed just after 5pm local time and was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed on X there have been seven fatalities and 11 people injured.

READ MORE: Choice reveals its Shonkys 'award' winners for 2025

"But we are still actively searching the scene," Mayor Greenberg said.

"There are more than 100 firefighters from across the region still on the scene working to make it safe for everyone in our community."

He added: "I'd like to send my prayers to the families of the victims in this tragic crash."

At least 11 people who were injured have been taken to local hospitals.

The wounded have "very significant" injuries, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear told media.

In an update posted to X, Beshear said the death toll was "expected to rise".

"First responders are onsite and working hard to extinguish the fire and continue the investigation," he said.

"Air monitoring assets have been deployed, and we are working to keep the public informed and keep folks in the area safe. We will share more information as it's available.

"Please, pray for the families affected, Louisville and all of Kentucky.

"We are hurting right now after a heartbreaking day."

Mayor Greenberg said the airport would remain closed for the rest of the evening.

He urged anyone worried their loved one has been impacted to visit a family assistance centre set up at the Louisville Metro Police Training Academy.

Three crew members were on the plane, UPS said in an earlier statement.

The status of the flight crew on board UPS Flight 2976 remains unknown.

"We do not – at the moment – have the status of the crew," Beshear said.

"I think we're all very, very worried about them."

Authorities at Louisville Metro Police Department said the crash scene will be an "active" one for several days.

"We don't know how long it's going to take to render that scene safe for the investigation to take place," police chief Paul Humphrey said.

The fully-fueled plane crashed into the ground in an industrial area less than 1.6 kilometres from the end of the runway.

In a statement, UPS said it was "terribly saddened" by the accident.

"UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve," it said.

"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.

"As a result of the accident, we are halting package sorting operations tonight at Worldport."

A large fire spread to a recycling centre nearby the airport.

Billowing black smoke and flames were seen spreading over a field of debris as scores of first responders arrived at the scene.

READ MORE: Mum joked as six-year-old daughter died from neglect, court hears

The sound of an "explosion" was heard near Grade Lane and Fern Valley Road near the international airport, according to local media reports.

A massive plume of black smoke was seen rising not far from the tarmac at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, videos from CNN affiliate WAVE show.

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is the worldwide air hub for UPS.

The company's Worldport is more than five million square feet where more than 12,000 UPS employees process more than two million packages a day, according to the company.

A shelter-in-place was issued for all locations within eight kilometres of the airport, police added, and it was later downgraded to a 1.6 kilometre radius.

"LMPD and multiple other agencies are responding to reports of a plane crash near Fern Valley and Grade Lane," the post said.

"Grade lane will be closed indefinitely between Stooges and Crittenden."

Witnesses report seeing debris 'fall from sky'

A man and his son told CNN affiliate WAVE they saw debris falling from the sky after the plane crash.

Justin Dunn said he noticed white paper falling to the ground.

"My son was like, 'Hey, look in the sky,' and it was coming down out of the sky and he picked it up," Dunn said.

"There's definitely debris all through here, probably within 10 miles (16 kilometres)."

Other residents in the local area said they saw a "massive black cloud" of smoke billowing from the crash site.

"My jaw dropped when I heard minutes later that it was a plane crash," Louisville woman Amanda Rhye told CNN.

"Everyone else around me realised it too, a couple of dozen people all stopped what they were doing and stared as the cloud quickly grew and expanded miles in every direction.

"Within 20 minutes, the massive black cloud was over us in the sky."

What is the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F?

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F is a freight transport aircraft manufactured originally by McDonnell Douglas and later by Boeing.

The aircraft is primarily flown by FedEx Express, Lufthansa Cargo and UPS Airlines for cargo.

The plane also served as a popular wide-bodied passenger airplane after it was first flown in 1990.

As fuel costs increased for the three engine jets many of them were converted to freighters.

The plane can take off weighing in at a maximum 633,000 pounds and carrying more than 38,000 gallons of fuel, according to Boeing, which bought McDonnell Douglass.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.