Moment plane explodes in massive fireball at takeoff with seven confirmed dead

A plane exploded when it took off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport at around 5.15pm on Tuesday 4 November, killing seven people and leaving 11 injured.

The large UPS cargo plane was bound for Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, according to the Federal Aviation Authority in the USA.

Horrific videos of the incident have since been shared to social media, showing the plane trying to gain altitude off the ground while a ball of fire blazed from its left wing.

Just moments after taking off, the plane exploded into flames.

Nearby car drivers captured the aircraft crashing into the runway, hitting two local businesses in Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Autoparts. Governor Andy Beshear said the businesses accounted for all of their employees, except for two who were eventually found.

It was confirmed by UPS that three crew members were onboard the flight at the time, though it is unknown if the deaths were members of the crew, as Beshear said at a news conference last night: "From the videos I've seen, I'm very concerned for them, but I'm still praying,

"It may be some time until we can account for everyone," he pointed out.

The plane's flames could be related to the 38,000 gallons of fuel in its tanks ahead of its long trip to Hawaii, with the fire later spreading to cover five miles.

Two victims remain in critical condition, said the Governor, as he pointed out that the number of deaths and injuries 'is going to get larger'.

Speaking to KKTV, Justin Dunn said debris rained from above in the aftermath, saying: "It fell out of the sky when I was working on the car, and that's when we found out abut 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 it up.

"There's definitely debris all through here, probably within 10 miles," he claimed.

Louisville Metro Police spokesman Matt Sanders told WDRB that they had received 20 calls for service as debris fell out of the sky in multiple locations.

The department wrote on social media that the 'LMPD and multiple other agencies are responding to reports of a plane crash' prior to updates later confirming details of the tragic incident.

Muhammad Ali International Airport remains closed following the incident, with those travelling today urged to check their flight status as airlines continue to respond to the chaos.

Locals who found debris were instructed not to touch it and to instead fill out a form about what they had found.

In a statement following the incident, UPS said: "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."

They detailed that they were 'engaged' with the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation of the accident, remaining in touch with the Deferal Aviation Administration.