Two Delta Airlines employees, Mirko F. Marweg, 58, from Stone Mountain, and Luis Aldarondo, 37, from Newnan, tragically lost their lives in an early morning explosion at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday. The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the fatalities, while another employee was severely injured in the incident.
The explosion occurred at the Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance facility shortly after 5 a.m. The cause of the explosion, which originated from a tire in the maintenance facility, is still under investigation. The specifics of the fatal injuries sustained by Marweg and Aldarondo were not immediately disclosed.
Brian Byars, the director of the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office, stated that the release of information is limited at this time due to the ongoing investigation. The exact circumstances leading to the explosion are yet to be determined.
Marweg and Aldarondo were part of the crew working in the wheel and brake shop of the facility, as confirmed by Delta. They were engaged in the disassembly of wheel components for maintenance, which were not attached to any aircraft at the time of the incident. The airline has not disclosed the specific roles of the deceased employees or their tenure with the company.
The third employee, who survived the explosion, was still in the hospital as of Tuesday evening. The Atlanta-based airline has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
In a statement, Delta expressed its deep sorrow over the loss of two team members and the injury of another. The airline has extended its full support to the families and colleagues of the victims during this challenging time. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also conducting an investigation into the incident.
The facility where the explosion occurred is a part of Delta TechOps, which provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for Delta and over 150 aviation and airline customers globally. The tire that exploded was from an aircraft that had flown from Las Vegas to Atlanta on Sunday night.