Two people have been found dead in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue plane at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.

The grim discovery was made during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection on Monday evening.

The aircraft had arrived from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport when the bodies were discovered.

The investigation is centred around Terminal 3, which serves as JetBlue Airways' base at the Florida airport.

The grim discovery was made after the JetBlue plane landed at Fort Lauderdale on an inbound flight from New York

Broward sheriff's deputies and a medical examiner were called to the scene.

A JetBlue spokesperson said: "Two individuals were found in the landing gear compartment of one of our aircraft during the routine post-flight maintenance inspection.

"Tragically, both individuals were deceased."

The airline added: "This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred."

The investigation is centred around Terminal 3, which serves as JetBlue Airways' base at Ford Lauderdale International Airport

The identities of the two individuals and how they managed to access the aircraft remain under investigation.

Local law enforcement and airport authorities are working to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident.