A regional Air Canada Express jet collided with a ground vehicle after landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. The incident prompted a full shutdown of the airport and widespread flight disruptions, with the New York Police Department confirming the collision.

A New York Port Authority official confirmed that both pilots of the aircraft were killed in the accident, which involved a fire truck operated by police officers. Airport authorities reported that dozens were injured, with 41 passengers and crew members transferred to a local hospital. Most have since been released, but nine people remain hospitalized, according to the official.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the airport is expected to remain closed until 2:00 PM Eastern Time on Monday (18:00 GMT). Meanwhile, LaGuardia's website showed arriving planes diverting to other airports, while others supposedly returned to their departure points. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was deploying technical experts to investigate the cause of the crash.

Flightradar24 data indicated that the CRJ-900 plane, en route from Montreal, Canada, struck the vehicle at a speed of approximately 39 kilometers (24 miles) per hour. Operated by Air Canada's regional partner Jazz, planes of this type can seat up to 76 passengers, but the airline confirmed there were 72 passengers and four crew members on board at the time of the incident.

Social media footage from the scene appeared to show severe damage to the front nose of the aircraft, which looked to be tilting upwards. New York City's emergency notification system warned of cancellations, road closures, traffic delays, and emergency personnel activity in the area around the airport. LaGuardia is a major airport that served over 30 million passengers last year, according to New York authorities.

Source: www.dw.com