Louisville [US], November 5 : The Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky has reopened; however, multiple taxiways remain closed. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have begun their investigations as the death toll has now risen to 9 people who were killed in the UPS plane crash.
Providing the details in a post on X, the Federal Aviation Administration said, "Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky has reopened, but multiple taxiways remain closed after UPS Flight 2976 crashed after taking off around p.m. local time on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. The FAA and NTSB are on the scene investigating. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide all updates. The FAA is coordinating with the UPS team and continues to keep them in our thoughts."
https://x.com/FAANews/status/1986066471210889329
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear shared the rise in the death toll in a post on X, "Kentucky, more heartbreaking news out of Louisville. The number of those lost has now risen to at least 9, with the possibility of more. Right now, these families need prayers, love and support. Let's wrap our arms around them during this unimaginable time."
https://x.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1986062796564398560
The crash prompted a statement from UPS, which said it was "terribly saddened" by the incident that occurred Tuesday 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," the company said.
UPS confirmed its active cooperation with authorities, saying, "We are engaged with the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the accident and are staying in close contact with the Federal Aviation Administration. We will work tirelessly with state and local authorities on response efforts."
The NTSB is set to investigate the crash and hold briefings with officials. "NTSB is bringing in a full crew, 28 folks to start with," Dan Mann, Executive Director at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, said Tuesday. "They'll hit the ground running first thing tomorrow morning, and they'll be working with all the mutual aid, all the first responders, collecting all the evidence."
"I expect they'll be here for several days, putting all this together, and there'll be multiple briefings," he added, CNN reported.
On the ground, hundreds of firefighter personnel have nearly contained the fire caused by the crash and will search the area "grid by grid" for potential victims, Fire Department Chief Brian O'Neill said at a news briefing.
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