Perth, Oct 14: An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai was forced to divert to Hyderabad after a passenger’s power bank caught fire in an overhead locker.
Flight 6E 6115, an Airbus A321 carrying about 180 passengers and seven crew, landed safely at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Sunday 11 October.
No injuries were reported.
Footage circulating online appears to show panicked passengers pulling bags from the overhead bins as smoke and flames emerge.
IndiGo said the smoke came from “a customer’s personal electronic device.”
“The cabin crew responded promptly, and the situation was brought under control,” the airline said. “In line with established protocols, the pilots diverted the flight and landed safely.”
The airline arranged another aircraft to take passengers on to Chennai.
It is at least the third time in about a year that a power bank has caught fire on an IndiGo aircraft, ThePrint reported. Lithium batteries in power banks can overheat and catch fire. Airlines generally require passengers to carry them in cabin baggage, not checked luggage, so crew can respond quickly if one ignites.
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