Lithium battery catches fire, Chinese plane forced to make emergency landing

The incident occurred on Air China flight CA139 – a daily flight from Hangzhou (eastern China) to Incheon International Airport near Seoul, South Korea. According to the airline’s announcement posted on the social media platform Weibo, the battery caught fire in luggage placed in the overhead compartment.

“The flight crew immediately handled the situation according to procedure, and no one was injured,” Air China said in a statement.

The plane diverted and made an emergency landing at Pudong International Airport (Shanghai) "to ensure flight safety".

Lithium battery in passenger's carry-on luggage on Air China flight catches fire. (Screenshot from X/aviationbrk)

Passengers in the clip can be heard shouting “Hurry up!” in Korean, according to the South China Morning Post. A passenger was quoted by the Shanghai Observer as saying there was a loud bang before flames erupted from the overhead luggage compartment.

Photos taken by a passenger and posted by Jimu News show flames shooting brightly from the luggage compartment, accompanied by thick black smoke spreading throughout the cabin. Some passengers can be seen trying to put out the fire with hand-held fire extinguishers.

Lithium battery suddenly caught fire, causing panic among many passengers. (Screenshot from X/aviationbrk)

According to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24, the flight took off from Hangzhou at 9:47 a.m. local time. After flying between China's east coast and Japan's Kyushu island, the plane made a complete U-turn and landed safely in Shanghai just after 11 a.m.

Air China and the Chinese civil aviation authority are currently investigating the cause of the incident, amid strict regulations on transporting lithium batteries on planes that have been in place for many years due to the high risk of explosion.

The incident is the latest in Asia involving lithium batteries, a product that has come under scrutiny due to its high risk of explosion.

In May, a China Southern Airlines flight from Hangzhou to Shenzhen had to make an emergency turn 15 minutes after takeoff when the crew discovered smoke coming from a passenger's camera battery and power bank.

Earlier in January, South Korea said a power bank battery may have caused a fire that engulfed the entire cabin of an Air Busan plane carrying 169 passengers and seven crew members. Seven people suffered minor injuries in the incident.

In response to a series of similar incidents, China has tightened regulations regarding the carrying and use of lithium batteries and power banks on planes. Starting June 28, power banks without Chinese safety certification marks are banned from being brought on domestic flights. In addition, power banks that have been recalled by the manufacturer are also not allowed to be carried on board, and the use of power banks to charge electronic devices during flights is also strictly prohibited.

Ngoc Nguyen

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/pin-lithium-boc-chay-may-bay-air-china-phai-ha-canh-khan-cap-ar971862.html