The burning aircraft, which was operated by the American delivery company UPS, struck several buildings when it crashed mid-takeoff. Officials fear the number of dead and injured could rise. Here is everything we know so far.

UPS flight 2976, an MD-11F cargo plane, crashed during takeoff at Louisville International Airport at around 17:15 local time on Tuesday, skidding off the runway and striking nearby buildings. The aircraft burst into flames and at least two nearby businesses were hit by the wreckage, the state's governor Andy Beshear has said. Kentucky Petroleum Recycling was struck "pretty directly", Beshear said, with a second business - Grade A Auto Parts - also impacted. Unverified footage of the incident shows the plane was already engulfed in flames when it careered off the runway.

The flames spread to several buildings close to the runway and officials launched a major operation to halt the blaze from spreading further. Nearby residents were ordered to stay inside over fears of further explosions and air pollution. The airport is located in Kentucky's biggest city and several neighbourhoods and business districts surround it. All operations at the airport were halted but the runway reopened for flights on Wednesday. (BBC)