New York: A major aviation incident unfolded at New York’s LaGuardia Airport after Air Canada Express flight AC8646 (Jazz Airline Flight 646 from Montreal) collided with a Port Authority emergency vehicle on runway 4 shortly after landing.
According to the latest update, all 60 passengers onboard are safe and were evacuated onto the tarmac. However, the collision proved fatal for emergency responders. Authorities at the scene confirmed that at least two Port Authority officers were pronounced dead, while three others remain critically injured. Some reports suggest the death toll could be higher.
Images showed the front of the commuter plane smashed and tilting in the air. The injured firefighters are from the Port Authority Police Department, sources said.
One hundred passengers were on the jet — a Bombardier CRJ-900 — and their conditions are being evaluated. Sources said the plane was carrying a group of Orthodox Jews from the New York area.
