New York: Operations were suspended at New York’s LaGuardia Airport after an Air Canada Express jet rammed into a fire truck while taxiing towards a gate.
At least four fire fighters were seriously injured in the accident. Some passengers inside the aircraft may also have sustained injuries as reported by IANS.
The aircraft had landed from Montreal and had at least 100 passengers on board.
According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, the CRJ-900 plane struck the vehicle at a speed of about 24 miles per hour (39 kph). The flight was operated by Air Canada’s regional partner Jazz Aviation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop for all departures to LaGuardia due to the aircraft emergency, with the airport closure in effect until 0530GMT. The probability of an extension was listed as high, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The reason for the halt at the airport was an emergency and there was a high probability of an extension, the FAA notice said.
A photograph has emerged on social media showing damage to the nose of the plane, as it tilted upward.
Arriving planes had been diverted to other airports or returned to their point of origin, the airport’s website said.
Emergency crews are working to bring the situation back to normal, officials said.
