Two workers were killed and another seriously injured in an explosion Tuesday at a Delta Air Lines maintenance facility near the Atlanta airport.
Delta said it was working with local authorities to investigate what happened at the wheel and brake shop.
WSB-TV reported that a tire on a plane exploded. The television station cited unnamed sources.
Several Atlanta fire units and police responded to the maintenance hangar near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport shortly after 5 a.m., The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance facility,” Delta said in a statement. “We have extended our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”
Delta thanked first responders and medical teams.
“We are now working with local authorities and conducting a full investigation to determine what happened,” the Atlanta-based airline said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was in contact with Delta, but referred a request for additional information about the apparent accident to the airline. A spokesman for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Eric Lucero, said the agency had started an investigation.
The airline said it is conducting an investigation into the incident and working with local authorities. Delta did not specify what kind of incident led to the deaths and injury, but a union representing workers at the airport cited reports of a tire explosion.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, a union that represents airlines industry workers across North America, issued a statement on the reported tire explosion and extended condolences to the victims’ families.
“As a union dedicated to the well-being and safety of our members and the broader community, we will offer our resources to all those impacted by this tragic event,” the union said. “We stand in unity with Delta workers during this difficult time and we call on Delta and the relevant authorities to quickly launch a thorough investigation into how this happened.”
The facility where the accident happened is part of Delta TechOps, which performs maintenance, repair and overhaul work for Delta and more than 150 aviation and airline customers around the world.
The president of TechOps, Delta Executive Vice President John Laughter, said in a note to staff that the airline will make counselors available to talk to employees.
“We’re all in this together, and we’ll get through this by supporting each other,” he said.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens posted on X to offer his condolences to relatives of the victims.
“I offer my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased Delta employees,” Dickens wrote. “My thoughts are also with those who were injured, and I hope for their swift and full recovery.”
