Two pilots dead after plane and ground vehicle collide at New York's LaGuardia Airport
Two pilots have died after an Air Canada plane carrying dozens of people collided with a firefighting vehicle responding to a separate incident at New York's LaGuardia Airport.
Forty-one people were taken to hospital, Port Authority chief Kathryn Garcia said. Thirty-two of them were later discharged but others had serious injuries.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described it as a "tragic collision", saying the National Transportation Safety Board was investigating Sunday's incident.
"I am grateful to our first responders, whose swift actions saved lives."
The airport was closed overnight and in the morning, reopening at 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT). Massive queues were reported.
At about 23:40 local time on Sunday (03:40 GMT Monday), shortly after Air Canada Flight 8646 had landed from Montreal, it collided with a firefighting vehicle on the tarmac.
The fire engine from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was responding to a United Airlines aircraft that had "reported an issue with odour", Garcia said during a news briefing.
Video footage on social media showed the aircraft, which is operated by Air Canada's regional partner Jazz Aviation, coming to a rest with its nose upturned.
Eyewitness Leo Medina, 23, told the BBC: "We were literally like 100 meters away. It was like the plane got cut in half."
In audio from the air traffic control tower at LaGuardia, a staff member can be heard saying: "'Truck One, stop, stop, stop!" in the seconds before the crash.
The aircraft – a CRJ 900 model, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members – suffered significant damage.
All on board the plane have been accounted for, Garcia said, while adding that the sergeant and police officer who were inside the firefighting vehicle were in a stable condition in hospital "with no life-threatening injuries".
"I visited them both in the hospital, as has the chairman, and they were able to speak and we're notifying their families," said Garcia.
At a news briefing later on Monday, Garcia said the firetruck that collided with the plane was carrying two officers, who were taken the hospital.
One was set to be released later on Monday and the other would remain overnight for observation, she added.
All arrivals and departures from the airport were cancelled or delayed until Monday afternoon.
Hundreds of flights were affected, with carriers including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Air Canada.
As of 08:00 local time at Terminal B, from where Air Canada operates, a board showed every departing flight for Monday morning, bar one, had been cancelled. Confused passengers were seen huddled on benches or sleeping on the floor. Many had small children with them.
Some people were on their phones trying to sort out their travel plans. Others were waiting in the hope the airport opens again.
As LaGuardia reopened at 14:00 local time, airport officials warned that "travellers should expect residual delays and cancellations" and also should "check with their carrier before departing for the airport".
There were immediately massive queues of people waiting to get through security.
The flight chaos has been exacerbated by a shortage of TSA (Transportation Security Administration) agents, which has been caused by a partial government shutdown.
Reuters