At least seven people were killed when a large UPS cargo plane crashed during takeoff from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday, sparking a massive fire and causing multiple injuries on the ground, officials said.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed that 11 people were injured and warned that the number of casualties was likely to rise. “Anybody who has seen the images knows how violent this crash is,” he said, adding that several victims sustained “very significant” injuries.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, went down around 5:15pm local time (22:15 GMT) shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was reportedly en route to Honolulu, Hawaii.

Aerial footage showed a long trail of debris as firefighters battled towering flames and thick black smoke. The plane reportedly slammed into two nearby businesses—a petroleum recycling company and an auto parts supplier—setting off widespread fires.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg described the crash as “an incredible tragedy” for the community, noting that multiple agencies were responding to the scene. Authorities issued a “shelter-in-place” order for areas within an 8-kilometer (5-mile) radius of the airport.

UPS initially said three crew members were aboard but did not confirm casualties. The Associated Press later reported that four of the seven people killed were not on the aircraft.

Governor Beshear said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), assisted by the FAA, will conduct a full investigation into the crash.

The airport, home to UPS Worldport—the company’s global air cargo hub and the world’s largest package handling facility—was temporarily closed after the incident.

According to Reuters, the accident is expected to disrupt UPS operations and may affect major clients such as Amazon, Walmart, and the United States Postal Service.

 With inputs from AL Zazeera