A cargo plane's left wing caught fire and an engine fell off just before it crashed and exploded after takeoff in the US state of Kentucky, killing at least 12 people, including a child.

First responders are searching for more victims a day after the crash at UPS Worldport, the company's global aviation hub in Louisville, after the inferno consumed the enormous aircraft and spread to nearby businesses.

After being cleared for takeoff, a large fire developed in the left wing, said Todd Inman of the US National Transportation Safety Board.

The plane gained enough altitude to clear the fence at the end of the runway before crashing just outside Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, local time.

Airport security video "shows the left engine detaching from the w

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