1 hr ago
Power Bank Fire Prompts IndiGo Emergency Landing, Renewing Safety Concerns
A power bank on a Chennai-bound IndiGo plane caught fire while the plane was in the air.
The plane landed safely in Hyderabad, where the crew had put out the fire.
Officials are investigating what happened.
Experts say batteries can catch fire if they are damaged, poorly made, or get too hot.
Overcharging or continuing to use a damaged power bank can also be risky.
Passengers should keep power banks in the cabin, where crew can reach them.
The DGCA says passengers must not use or charge them during flights or put them in overhead bins.
People should stop using a power bank that swells, leaks, smells unusual, or gets very hot.
A Chennai-bound IndiGo flight made an emergency landing at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Sunday after a passenger’s power bank caught fire.
Smoke filled the cabin, and crew members extinguished the fire; authorities have launched an investigation.
A separate power-bank fire on a Chandigarh-bound IndiGo flight in May led to an emergency evacuation after the device reportedly ignited in a seat pocket.
Experts say battery defects, internal short circuits, physical damage, overheating, and unsafe charging or use can contribute to fires.
India’s DGCA advisory prohibits using or charging power banks during flights and keeping them in overhead bins; power banks are generally allowed in cabin baggage within prescribed limits.
- Who
- Passengers and crew aboard a Chennai-bound IndiGo flight; authorities are investigating.
- What
- A passenger’s power bank caught fire, prompting an emergency landing.
- Where
- The flight landed at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.
- When
- Sunday; the article does not specify the date.
- Why
- The cause of the fire has not been established; authorities launched an investigation.
Key facts
- Flight route
- Chennai-bound IndiGo flight
- Landing airport
- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
- Incident response
- The crew extinguished the fire after smoke filled the cabin.
- Investigation
- Authorities have launched an investigation.
- May incident
- A power bank reportedly ignited in a seat pocket on a Chandigarh-bound IndiGo flight, prompting an emergency evacuation after touchdown.
- DGCA advisory
- Passengers are prohibited from using or charging power banks during flights and from storing them in overhead bins.
- Battery warning signs
- Swelling, leakage, unusual odours, or excessive heating may indicate a power bank is unsafe.
Quotes
Vivek Panchal
Managing director of Powertron, a battery manufacturing company.
“Aircrafts typically experience a slight jolt during landing, which may have caused a mechanical vibration in the power bank. Combined with a fully charged LCO battery, this could have triggered an internal short circuit, eventually leading to the fire.”
indianexpress.com
“Power banks contain lithium batteries, which are prone to malfunction and combustion. Keeping them in the cabin ensures that crew members can immediately detect and contain any potential fire.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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