Watch: Lithium battery catches fire on plane, leaves passengers in shock

An emergency landing was made by an Air China flight after a lithium battery caught fire in the overhead bin of the plane on Saturday, October 18.

The flight, numbered CA139, had taken off from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport at 09.47am local time and was scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport at 12.20am.

Recommended For You

Deluxe Holiday Homes: Setting new standards for Dubai’s regulated holiday-rental market

Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, internal documents show

Up to Rs1,000,000 compensation for victims’ families killed in Delhi blast

McIlroy swaps fairways for the fast lane at Yas Marina Circuit

From host to influencer: How the UAE is steering the next chapter of global climate action

 

The flight was then forced to perform an emergency landing in Shanghai.

In a statement, Air China confirmed that a lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on luggage stored in the overhead compartment "spontaneously ignited".

Videos of the fire have been going viral on social media. Watch below:

Ban on power banks 

The airline added that the crew responded immediately and that no injuries had been reported. It confirmed that the flight had to “make an unscheduled landing” at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Earlier this month, Emirates prohibited the use of power banks during flights.

Passengers may still carry one power bank under 100 watt-hours (Wh), but the device cannot be used or charged inflight. The airline says the move is based on safety, following a surge in incidents across the aviation industry linked to lithium batteries.

Meher Dhanjal

meher@khaleejtimes.com

Meher Dhanjal is a Digital Journalist who breaks news first and breathes second. She loves chasing page views and finding stories that tug at readers’ heartstrings.