A power bank reportedly burst into flames aboard a packed IndiGo flight in India, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Hyderabad.
The incident occurred on Sunday aboard a flight travelling from Delhi to Chennai, when flames erupted from an overhead luggage compartment, sending passengers scrambling to put out the fire.
Footage of the incident showed flames engulfing the storage compartment as passengers attempted to smother the blaze with their bags. Others recorded the frightening scene on their phones.
An IndiGo spokesperson said the flight was diverted after smoke was detected coming from a passenger’s personal electronic device.
“Cabin crew responded promptly, and the situation was brought under control,” the airline said in a statement.
After landing in Hyderabad, passengers boarded another aircraft to continue their journey to Chennai.
The airline apologised for the “unforeseen situation” and said refreshments and timely updates were provided to affected passengers.
Power banks can catch fire due to a process known as thermal runaway, in which a battery overheats and triggers a chain reaction that can lead to flames or an explosion.
The incident follows other reported cases of power banks catching fire aboard aircraft.
In another recent incident, a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight carrying 332 passengers was forced to return after a power bank reportedly exploded and caught fire while the plane was travelling from the Netherlands to the Caribbean.
The device reportedly belonged to the airline’s former chief executive. Images of the aftermath showed a cracked window cover and a burnt seat in the business-class section.
In July, a power bank also caught fire inside an overhead luggage compartment aboard China Eastern Airlines flight MU2421, which was travelling from Lanzhou to Guiyang. Crew members managed to extinguish the blaze, while authorities said a portable battery in a passenger’s hand luggage had ignited spontaneously.
