Smoke Fills Cabin of Landing Flight at Jeju Airport; Passenger Opens Bag to Find...

A passenger suffered burns after a portable power bank overheated on a Jeju-bound flight from Hong Kong.

According to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Fire and Safety Headquarters, a report was received at around 6:22 AM today (October 25) stating that a passenger sustained burns due to heat and smoke from an auxiliary battery on a Hong Kong Express flight from Hong Kong that was scheduled to land at Jeju International Airport.

At the time of the report, the aircraft—carrying 236 passengers and 7 crew members—was still in flight. Fire authorities arrived at Jeju International Airport at 6:32 AM and awaited the aircraft's landing.

The accident occurred when a passenger attempted to take out a portable power bank that began emitting smoke while stored in a bag underneath a passenger seat.

The incident left a Chinese female passenger in her 50s with burns on her left thumb.

Flight attendants immediately placed the portable power bank into a thermal containment bag, specialized equipment designed for in-flight battery fire responses, and submerged it in water.

After confirming that there was no risk of a secondary fire inside the cabin, fire authorities administered first aid to the injured person.

The injured passenger reportedly declined transport, stating she would go to the hospital on her own.

Fires caused by the overheating of in-flight portable power banks have been occurring continuously of late.

Previously, on September 24, a fire caused by a portable power bank broke out inside the cabin of an Air Seoul flight from Incheon to Danang as it was preparing for takeoff.

It was confirmed that the fire at the time originated from a portable power bank kept in a bag stored under a passenger seat.

Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.