Airline passengers typically have to wait until they’re at cruising altitude to be in an enclosed space with jet engine fumes or an exploding electronic device. Customers inside a Qantas business lounge at the Melbourne Airport got a special treat on Thursday when a power bank caught fire in a man’s pocket. The man was hospitalized with minor burns to his leg and fingers. He was the only person injured as the lounge was quickly evacuated by staff.
The lounge at Melbourne Airport was filled with around 150 people when the power bank went up in flames. According to NBC News, eyewitnesses saw a dramatic scene as the man’s jacket burned and the battery acid went “flying everywhere.” It could’ve been far worse if it hadn’t happened in a lounge with airline staff on hand to immediately respond. Leanne Tonkes, an Australian filmmaker, was in the lounge during the incident and posted about it on Instagram. Her caption read, “Quick thinking from the man who jumped in to help and the staff who got him in the shower and everyone else out of the lounge.”
Power banks keep exploding on flights
Airlines have plenty of evidence to show that they are justified in restricting how passengers travel with power banks. In August, a KLM flight from São Paulo, Brazil to Amsterdam was suddenly interrupted by a flaming power bank. The passenger cabin filled with smoke. However, the flight didn’t have to divert because of the attendants’ quick thinking to put out the device with a fire extinguisher. It’s terrifying what could have happened over the Atlantic Ocean if the fire had gotten out of control.
While industry standards prohibit power banks from being inside checked luggage, restrictions may become tighter following an incident in South Korea in January. An Air Busan Airbus A321 caught fire at Gimhae International Airport. According to BBC News, the power bank was stored in an overhead bin. The aircraft was safely evacuated, but three people sustained minor injuries and the plane was destroyed. In the aftermath, South Korea’s government banned portable batteries and chargers from being placed in the overhead bins. I wouldn’t be surprised if more countries follow suit.
