ATLANTA, Aug 28, (AP): Two workers were killed and another seriously injured Tuesday in a tire explosion at a Delta Air Lines maintenance facility near the Atlanta airport. Delta said the explosion occurred while wheel components were being disassembled for maintenance at a wheel and brake shop. The parts were not attached to a plane at the time, the airline said.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it opened an investigation. Delta said it was working with authorities and the cause of the explosion has not been released. Several Atlanta fire units and police responded to the maintenance hangar near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport shortly after 5 am, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The airport said flights were not affected, and Delta said its maintenance operation was not impacted. "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," Delta said in a statement.

"We have extended our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.” Delta thanked first responders and medical teams, and said the injured worker remained under medical care late Tuesday afternoon. "We are now working with local authorities and conducting a full investigation to determine what happened,” the Atlanta-based airline said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was in contact with Delta, but FAA referred a request for additional information about the apparent accident to the airline. Eric Lucero, a spokesperson for OSHA, said the federal workplace-safety agency had started an investigation.