Delta Plane Tire Explodes at Atlanta Airport, Two Dead, One Injured

Two people are dead and a third is seriously injured after a Delta flight's tire blew up while it was being removed from the plane in Atlanta.

The explosion rocked an airport maintenance area Tuesday ... with firefighters and police officers rushing to the Delta TechOps hangar near the international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson, just after 5 AM.

The victims haven't been publicly identified ... but the company confirmed one person killed was a Delta employee and the other person killed was a contractor. There’s no update yet on the injured person’s condition.

Delta sent out their condolences ... the company saying they’re heartbroken over the tragedy and are giving full support to victims’ families and coworkers.

It’s still unclear what caused the explosion ... but Delta said in their statement they’re working with local authorities and the FAA in a full investigation.