AIRPORT TRAGEDY
Dad among two Delta workers killed in tire explosion at Atlanta airport as blast sent metal ‘flying like a missile’
One of the victim's children shared a heartbreaking tribute to his father
A FATHER is among two Delta Air Lines workers who were killed following a deadly tire explosion.
Mirko Marweg, 58, and Luis Aldarondo Jr, 37, died after the horrific incident at 's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Tuesday.
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The tire on the plane exploded while it was being removed around 5 am that morning, according to ABC affiliate .
Witnesses at the airport said the impact had sent metal flying across the air like missiles that had hit workers.
The two men who died were described as a Delta employee and contractor.
The injured third victim has not been identified.
Marweg, from Stone Mountain, Georgia, around 20 miles northeast of Atlanta, has worked for Delta for over 20 years but this was due to be his last job with the airline, according to NBC affiliate .
He was due to retire in two to three months.
His son, Andre Coleman, shared a heartbreaking message to his late father after the tragedy.
"I could tell him something right now, I would tell him no more suffering," he said.
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"You had your time here with us. Now it's time for you to be with God."
Coleman described his dad as a "wonderful father" and a "wonderful husband."
His son added that he and his mother were not allowed to see the body as it was "unrecognizable," so they identified him through his tattoos.
Marweg had followed a long family history of military work as he had previously served in the US Navy as an enlisted seaman for four years.
Delta Air Lines released a statement confirming the death of two of its employees.
"The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance Facility (TOC 3)," the airline said.
You had your time here with us. Now it's time for you to be with God."
Andre Coleman
"We have extended our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.
"The Delta family is grateful for the quick action of first responders and medical teams on site."
Luis Aldarondo, 37, was the second worker to die in the horrific incident.
Aldarondo, from Newnan, Georgia, around 40 miles southwest of Atlanta, was married and had two young children.
Airport Tragedies
On August 27, 2024, two airline workers were killed and another was injured after a tire on a Delta Airlines plane exploded while it was being removed at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
The incident is one of many dangers airport employees and passengers face on a daily basis.
- August 2024: A 57-year-old woman died at Chicago's O'Hare Airport after she entered a restricted area and became entangled in the luggage conveyor belt at Terminal 5.
- June 2023: An airline worker at San Antonio International Airport died after being sucked into a plane engine.
- January 2023: A baggage handler died at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama after being sucked into a plane's engine.
The plane arrived in Atlanta on Sunday evening from , Nevada, according to flight logs obtained by WSB-TV.
An investigation has been launched to determine what caused the tire to explode.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens confirmed several police agencies are involved in the probe.
"I offer my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased Delta employees," Dickens said in a statement on X.
";My thoughts are also with those who were injured, and I hope for their swift and full recovery.
"AFRD, APD, and HJAIA teams are on the scene, working diligently to address the situation."
The incident did not impact flight operations in and out of the airport.
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Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was named the busiest airport in the world, according to Airport Council International.
The airport saw approximately 104.7 million passengers in 2023, an 11 percent increase from the previous year.
Delta Airlines' complete statement
A tire on a Delta Airlines plane exploded on Tuesday while in the maintenance facility at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The incident left two dead and a third was severely injured.
Delta Airlines' full statement on the incident:
"The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance Facility (TOC 3)," the airline said.
"We have extended our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.
"The Delta family is grateful for the quick action of first responders and medical teams on site.
"We are now working with local authorities and conducting a full investigation to determine what happened."
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