- Nine people still unaccounted for. They are people presumed to be in the crash area at the time. If you know of anyone still missing, call 1-800-631-0604.
- Fatalities now at 12, one of whom is a young child. Officials expect that number to increase.
- At least check, 2 people were still in critical condition. The hospital will not be providing further updates on their statuses.
- Black box recovered. See it here.
- The shelter-in-place has been reduced to a quarter mile radius of 7501 Grade Lane, the city’s hazardous waste drop-off site.
A UPS plane crashed at Louisville’s international airport on Tuesday, causing an explosion, dangerous plumes of smoke and a sprawling fire.
As of Wednesday morning, at least 12 people are dead and multiple injured, and several people are still missing. Thirteen people have been discharged from UofL Health and two remain in critical condition in the ICU.
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Mayor Craig Greenberg said some of the deaths were the three crew members on board. Another victim is believed to be a young child.
The cargo plane crashed around 5:15 p.m. as it was taking off from SDF, heading toward Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The plane is an MD-11, 34 years old built in the early 90s. The engine of the plane was hauled away on Wednesday.
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The destruction Tuesday night looked apocalyptic.
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Because of the long trip, the plane was fully fueled, leading to a large fire. It was carrying about 38,000 gallons of fuel.
The fire spread easily to nearby facilities, including a large recycling center.
So far, there are no reports of anyone trapped, but more than a dozen entities responded and nearby buildings are being searched.
Surveillance video shows fiery explosion as UPS plane rips through Louisville businesses
The fires from the crash were out as of 11 p.m. Tuesday. It took more than 100 first responders more than six hours to get them under control.
It could take a week or longer to put out all the hotspots, Okolona fire officials said.
SDF closed the airfield Tuesday, but by Thursday, most flights were back to normal.
UPS Worldport halted operations Tuesday and canceled Next Day Air. Officials said their goal is return to a “normal cadence with flights arriving at destinations on Thursday morning.”
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Beshear said there were no hazardous material on board. However, officials said there are still several businesses affected and there are some hazardous materials there to address.
For safety reasons, LG&E de-energized power lines into a nearby station in light of the crash and isolated a portion of their gas system. They are trying to restore power to those still without.
Beshear said Wednesday that people “immediately near” the crash site should avoid drinking water until further notice.
“Other areas are safe,” the governor said. “If you are in the suburbs or in other parts of Louisville, you are as safe today as you’ve been any other day. The air is fine. Your water is fine.”
Beshear also announced Wednesday that he is issuing a State of Emergency in the aftermath of the crash.
“This allows us to move resources more quickly through emergency management and through the Kentucky National Guard,” the governor said. “It allows state resources to be used also through our agencies to be readily available, including disaster resource management, expenses related to response and more, as well as reimbursement.”
In short, the governor said a State of Emergency will ensure that groups that are limited in funding will be able to receive immediate or short term help.
Beshear, Greenberg, and Congressman Morgan McGarvey surveyed the damage left behind from the plane crash. Watch video from the crash site below:
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UPS said the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information.
They said they recovered the “black box,” which could provide key insights into what happened.
The investigation could take a year or more to complete
