WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) - The control tower at

Newark airport outside New York City was temporarily evacuated

and officials ordered a ground stop on Monday morning after a

burning smell, the FAA said.

"Arrivals and departures are temporarily paused at Newark

Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after air traffic

controllers evacuated the tower because of a burning smell

coming from an elevator," the FAA said.

The pause in traffic at the busy airport came around 7:30

a.m. Controllers returned to their station and the ground stop

was lifted about half an hour later.

The incident came the morning after an Air Canada Express

jet collided with a fire truck while landing at New

York's LaGuardia airport, killing both pilots, injuring dozens

and closing the facility, authorities said.

U.S. aviation faces chronic shortages of air traffic

controllers and a separate shortfall of Transportation Security

Administration officers due to a partial government shutdown

that has led to delays, long security lines and heightened

safety concerns across airports nationwide.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Katharine Jackson; Editing by

doina Chiacu)