United States authorities have warned people to shelter indoors after a cargo plane crashed shortly after take-off amid fears the death toll would likely rise.
Footage posted on social media showed the UPS plane with its wing on fire, crashing and exploding into a fireball shortly after taking off from Louisville airport at 5.14pm Tuesday local time (9.14am Wednesday AEDT).
Kentucky governor Andy Beshear said at least three people had been killed and several more injured but he expected that figure to grow.
Several buildings in an industrial area beyond the runway were on fire after the crash, with thick black smoke rising into the evening sky.
Authorities said the blaze had caused environmental contamination, warning anyone within 8km of the airport to shelter indoors as firefighters tackled the blaze.
"Please stay away from the area. Allow those first responders to do their job, to make sure that scene is as safe as possible," Louisville police chief Paul Humphrey said at a press conference.
Fire and smoke marks where a UPS cargo plane crashed near Louisville airport on Tuesday night. Source: Getty / Stephen Cohen
"Right now we believe we have at least three fatalities. I believe that number is going to get larger. We have at least 11 injuries, some of them very significant that are being treated by local hospitals," he said.
"Anybody who has seen the images in the video knows how violent this crash is."
The cargo plane was travelling to Honolulu, Hawaii, and no hazardous material was onboard the aircraft.
The airport is home to UPS Worldport, a global hub for the company's air cargo operations and its largest package handling facility in the world.
— With reporting by the Reuters news agency.
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