Plane had to make emergency landing because the power bank exploded.

(Dan Tri) - A China Southern Airlines plane was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing just 15 minutes after takeoff, due to a spare battery exploding in the carry-on luggage compartment.

The incident occurred on a China Southern Airlines flight, operated by an Airbus A320, from Hangzhou to Shenzhen (China). About 15 minutes after takeoff, passengers discovered thick smoke coming from the carry-on luggage of a person sitting nearby.

A video recorded by a witness shows passengers passing around bottles of water to help flight attendants put out an emergency fire in the cabin.

After assessing the situation, the captain immediately decided to turn the plane around and make an emergency landing at Hangzhou airport. All passengers were safely evacuated, with no casualties reported.

“The crew handled the situation quickly, accurately, and promptly eliminated the risks. To ensure maximum safety, the captain made the decision to turn around and make an emergency landing,” said a representative of China Southern Airlines.

The cause of the incident was determined to be a spare battery exploding in carry-on luggage.

Plane had to make emergency landing because power bank exploded (Video: Weibo).

Not the first case

Power bank exploded and caught fire on a China Southern Airlines plane in 2018 (Video: CGTN).

Notably, this is not the first time China Southern Airlines has recorded a fire or explosion incident related to a power bank.

In 2018, a power bank suddenly exploded on a flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai, causing a fire to break out in the luggage compartment.

The incident occurred while the plane was still parked on the runway, so the fire was quickly extinguished. However, all passengers had to leave the plane and wait nearly 3 hours to continue their journey on a replacement flight.

Not only China Southern, many other airlines in the world have also faced similar incidents, including cases with serious consequences.

A typical incident occurred on the evening of January 28 on an Air Busan (South Korea) flight using an A321 aircraft. The plane carrying 169 passengers and 7 crew members was preparing to take off from Busan city to Hong Kong when it suddenly caught fire.

Although the plane had not yet left the ground, the fire spread so quickly that all passengers were forced to evacuate using emergency slides. At least seven people were hospitalized, although none were in critical condition, the plane was severely damaged.

Air Busan plane severely damaged after fire caused by power bank battery (Photo: EPA-EFE).

Prohibit the use of power banks during the flight

According to international regulations, power banks are strictly prohibited in checked baggage. However, some airlines still allow passengers to carry power banks in their carry-on baggage, provided they are not used during the flight.

Major airlines such as Thai Airways, AirAsia, EVA Air, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific… are all applying this regulation.

In Vietnam, since the end of March, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air have simultaneously issued a ban on passengers using power banks on planes. At the same time, these devices must be removed from their bags and placed in an easily visible position next to the passenger.

The bans are due to the fact that power banks store energy through lithium-ion cells, which pose a high risk of fire or explosion if they are bumped, short-circuited, or misused. Incidents involving these devices not only cause panic in the passenger cabin, but also directly threaten flight safety.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/may-bay-phai-ha-canh-khan-cap-vi-pin-sac-du-phong-phat-no-20250605024922374.htm