2 Delta employees die in tire explosion at Atlanta airport

Two Delta Air Lines employees were killed and a third suffered serious injuries at Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Tuesday, the airline confirmed.

The accident occurred in the airline's TechOps maintenance facility, Delta spokeswoman Samantha Facteau told USA TODAY.

Atlanta Police Chief Major Kelley Collier told USA TODAY that emergency crews arrived at the scene around 5 a.m.

According to officials, an aircraft burst while changing a tire, killing both crew members and requiring a third to be hospitalized for treatment of serious injuries.

The extent of the third Delta worker's injuries was not immediately known.