LaGuardia Airport in New York is currently closed following a collision
between a recently landed aircraft and a vehicle on the ground. The US
Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) confirms that all flights to LaGuardia have been temporarily suspended due to "an aircraft emergency."

According to initial reports, the incident reportedly took place on Sunday evening around 11:40 PM local time on a taxiway at LaGuardia, one of the two major airports in New York. The New York Fire Department has so far only confirmed that it "responded to an incident between an aircraft and a vehicle on a runway," but the precise nature of the incident was not explained.

According to American media, a recently landed Air Canada passenger plane collided with a fire truck that was located on or near the taxiway at the
time. There were reportedly 70 injured, and according to unconfirmed reports, four firefighters are in critical condition.

Tracking data indicates that the aircraft involved in the incident was flight AC8646, a Bombardier CRJ-900 that had departed from Montreal with reportedly about 100 passengers on board. The vehicle with which the plane may have collided is said to be an airport fire truck identified as "Truck-1".

Unverified images of the incident are circulating on social media; they show
a heavily damaged aircraft. More information regarding the exact extent of
the damage and confirmation of the number of injured is currently
unavailable. The circumstances of the accident are also still unclear; bad weather and limited visibility at LaGuardia may have played a role.

Meanwhile, authorities in New York are warning local residents to "be
prepared for cancellations, road closures, traffic delays, and the presence
of emergency services" near the major transportation hub in Queens. "Choose alternative routes," they advise at X. All flights from LaGuardia were
delayed or canceled on Monday morning, according to the airport's website. LaGuardia was already experiencing flight disruptions due to the poor weather conditions.

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* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)