Death toll continues to rise Search for missing persons after US plane crash continues
Two days after the plane crash in Louisville in the USA, it is still unclear how many people died in total. The number of victims is rising again.
07.11.2025, 05:00
07.11.2025, 06:35
dpa
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- The search is still on for missing persons following the crash of a cargo plane in the US state of Kentucky.
- At least 13 people died in the accident and at least eleven were injured.
- Governor Andy Beshear said he expected the death toll to rise.
- The crash resulted in an explosion and a major fire.
- Several people suffered serious injuries.
- The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the plane with three people on board crashed at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport at around 5.15 p.m. (local time).
- It was originally scheduled to fly to Honolulu.
Update November 7, 2025, 4:56 a.m.: A search is still underway for missing persons following the crash of a cargo plane in the US state of Kentucky. This was announced by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the crash.
The plane crashed in the late afternoon (local time) on Tuesday after take-off in a suburb of the city of Louisville over an industrial area. Mayor Craig Greenberg wrote on Platform X that the death toll had now risen to 13. The authorities had last spoken of 12 victims.
According to the airport, it has now been fully reopened to air traffic. It is not yet clear why the cargo plane belonging to US logistics company UPS crashed.
Update November 6, 2025, 3:13 a.m.: The death toll after the crash of a cargo plane in the US state of Kentucky continues to rise. At least twelve people were killed, US media reported, citing official sources. Governor Andy Beshear said that a small child was among the victims.
The US logistics company UPS announced that three crew members were on board the company's own cargo plane.
According to official figures, more than a dozen people were injured. Some of them were seriously injured - they suffered burns, smoke inhalation and splinter injuries. The cause of the crash on the outskirts of the city of Louisville remains unclear.
Search for victims continues
Rescue workers reportedly continued to search for victims, as several people were still missing. Beshear said the three crew members were believed to be among the fatalities.
The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB), citing a video, said the left engine caught fire during takeoff and fell off the wing, leading to the large fire. The flight recorder and the flight data recorder have been recovered.
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft had taken off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport at around 5.15 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday. Images from the scene of the accident show that it crashed not far from the runway over an industrial area and burst into a fireball.
According to the FAA, the long-haul aircraft was on its way almost 7,000 kilometers to an airport in Honolulu on the US archipelago of Hawaii. It was fully fueled and reportedly had 144,000 liters of fuel on board. According to the authorities, the crash site is in the vicinity of a recycling and car parts company.
It is unclear how many employees or customers were on the premises at the time of the crash. Democratic Governor Beshear said two employees were missing. Firefighters searched the rubble for trapped victims.
The cause of the plane crash was initially unclear.
Image: dpa
The plane crashed immediately after take-off - and presumably with a full tank of fuel.
Image: dpa
The rescue workers are likely to face a long night.
Image: dpa
The column of smoke above the crash site could be seen for miles.
Image: dpa
The cause of the plane crash was initially unclear.
Image: dpa
The plane crashed immediately after take-off - and presumably with a full tank of fuel.
Image: dpa
The rescue workers are likely to face a long night.
Image: dpa
The column of smoke above the crash site could be seen for miles.
Image: dpa
Airport closed - "Situation is serious"
The police imposed a curfew on parts of the area. Beshear wrote on Platform X: "The situation is serious." He was on his way to Louisville.
The airport was closed after the incident. Flights to Louisville and departures have been temporarily suspended, according to the airport's X page.
