2 workers killed after being trapped in construction at John F. Kennedy International Airport

Two workers were killed at John F. Kennedy International Airport Monday in a construction accident, authorities said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, said in a statement it received a report of two workers trapped under construction rubble shortly after 11 a.m. 

Emergency services responded to the scene in an attempt to rescue the workers, who were declared dead at the scene, officials said. 

The Port Authority said in an update to USA TODAY the workers were relocating utility lines “in the vicinity of cogeneration plant to support the increased energy needs of the JFK redevelopment project.”

The identities of the deceased workers and their employer are pending next of kin notification, authorities said. 

A spokesperson for the city’s fire department told the Associated Press it happened in a trench near the airport’s busy Terminal 7. The emergency response resulted in airport traffic delays for over three hours, the airport said. Flight operations were not affected.

The Port Authority said a stop order was issued for all construction at the airport and will remain in place “until safety reviews have been conducted.”

“The Port Authority is conducting a thorough investigation and will be cooperating with all other investigative agencies,” the statement read. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul offered her condolences on Twitter to the loved ones of the people “tragically killed”.