Two pilots have been killed after an Air Canada aircraft collided with a firefighting vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
The aircraft, which had arrived from Montreal, was travelling at approximately 24mph on the ground on Sunday evening when the collision occurred.
The plane was carrying 72 passengers and four crew members at the time.
Authorities confirmed that 41 passengers and crew were taken to hospital following the incident. While 32 have since been discharged, others are reported to have sustained serious injuries.
Two emergency personnel inside the ground vehicle — a sergeant and a police officer — were also injured but are in a stable condition in hospital with no life-threatening injuries.
Kathryn Garcia, Executive Director of the Port Authority, said all individuals on board the aircraft have been accounted for, though she was unable to provide full details on the extent of injuries.
Emergency services responded to the scene, with the New York City Fire Department warning of significant disruption in the surrounding area, including road closures and delays.
LaGuardia Airport has been closed to facilitate an investigation, with authorities confirming the shutdown will remain in place until at least 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT).
All arrivals and departures have been cancelled or delayed, affecting hundreds of flights across multiple airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and Air Canada.
A limited number of flights scheduled for Monday morning have been listed as delayed rather than cancelled as operations remain disrupted.