Cargo plane crashes near Dubai; two suspected dead (2nd Lead)

Sep 3, 2010, 18:53 GMT

Dubai, UAE - A United Parcel Services (UPS) cargo plane crashed Friday evening near Dubai as it was taking off for Germany, and unconfirmed reports said there were casualties in the accident.

A 747-400 type cargo plane heading from Dubai to Cologne, Germany 'with two crew members on board crashed on takeoff,' said UPS in a statement on its website.

'At this time, we have not confirmed any casualties,' the statement added.

'Our thoughts go out to the crew members involved in the incident and their families,' said UPS Airline and International Operations Manager Bob Lekites.

The crash took place in an 'uninhabited district in Dubai,' the United Arab Emirates WAM official news agency reported. Firefighters and other emergency service personnel were at the scene, near the city-state's international airport.

Local reports said the plane went down at about 7:45 pm (1545 GMT) and placed the crash beside a major artery, the Al-Ain Dubai Highway.

Witnesses, speaking with The National newspaper, said a 'fireball' erupted from the crash site, though conflicting earlier reports made it unclear if a fire had ignited on board the plane prior to its hitting the ground.