(The Center Square) – Two are confirmed dead and dozens more injured after an Air Canada jet slammed into a firetruck as it landed late Sunday in New York.
According to a statement from LaGuardia Airport released early Monday, the airliner, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident.
New York and New Jersey Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said the pilot and copilot were killed in the crash, while 41 others were taken to local hospitals and 32 have since been released. The port authority officers suffered injuries that were not life threatening..
She said the airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. as the National Transportation Safety Board investigates.
According to FlightAware, 54 flights have been cancelled as of 7:08 a.m. Monday. LaGuardia is considered the third-busiest airport in the New York City area, behind JFK and Newark Libderty. An estimated 32 million-plus passengers go through the airport annually.
Garcia said all information regarding the crash is still preliminary and may change as more information becomes available.
