Bandung, IndinesiaSentinel.com — Two workers were killed, and another seriously injured when a tire on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-232 exploded during maintenance at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
The tragic incident occurred around 5 a.m. in a hangar at the airport as workers were replacing the aircraft’s tires.
Delta Air Lines confirmed that the explosion happened while workers were servicing the Boeing 757, which had arrived from Las Vegas on Sunday night.
Atlanta Police Major Kelley Collier reported that emergency teams quickly responded to the call about the tire explosion at the airport’s technical maintenance facility.
The identities of the deceased workers have not been released. The third worker, who sustained serious injuries, was transported to a hospital, but their condition remains unknown as of Tuesday afternoon.
Delta Air Lines expressed deep sorrow over the loss of their two team members and the injury of another.
“The Delta family is deeply saddened by the loss of two team members and the injury of another in this morning’s incident. We are offering full support to their families and colleagues during this extremely difficult time,” Delta said in an official statement, as reported by The Guardian.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens also extended his condolences via a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“My deepest sympathies go out to the families and loved ones of the Delta employees who lost their lives,” Dickens wrote. “My thoughts are also with those injured, and I wish them a full and speedy recovery.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the union representing over 100,000 airline workers across the U.S., called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
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“We stand in solidarity with the Atlanta community and extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families,” IAM said in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been notified of the deaths of the Delta workers and is coordinating with the airline. Despite the incident, flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport were not affected, according to airport officials.
(Ray)
