Dramatic scenes have unfolded at LaGuardia Airport after a passenger jet collided with a fire truck on the ground, with early reports suggesting fatalities and multiple critical injuries.
The aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by Air Canada Express, was involved in the collision shortly after landing late at night.
According to flight tracking data, Jazz Airlines Flight 646 had just completed a short journey from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, touching down at approximately 11:37pm local time before the incident occurred.
The crash is believed to have taken place on a taxiway near Runway 4 as the plane was moving on the ground.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that at least two people have died, while dozens more are said to be critically injured, including both passengers and firefighters who were inside the emergency vehicle at the time of impact.
Shocking images from the scene show the extent of the destruction.
The front of the jet appears to have been severely crushed, with the nose and forward fuselage mangled and lifted into the air after the aircraft tipped back onto its tail in the aftermath of the collision.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene, with firefighters and medical teams working urgently to treat the injured amid the wreckage.
Airport operations were immediately suspended as first responders secured the area and began evacuating passengers.
The full circumstances surrounding the collision remain unclear, including how a fire truck came to be in the path of the aircraft.
Authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of casualties, and investigations are now underway to determine what led to the devastating crash.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the aviation community, with concerns mounting over ground safety procedures at one of the United States’ busiest airports.
