A fire, suspected to have been caused by the ignition of an auxiliary battery, broke out before takeoff on an Air Seoul flight departing Incheon International Airport for Da Nang, Vietnam.

The fire occurred at around 9:00 PM last night (September 24) on Air Seoul Flight RS511 bound for Da Nang from Incheon as it was preparing for takeoff.

The fire started in a bag stored under a seat by a passenger, and it was confirmed that the bag contained an auxiliary battery placed inside a pouch.

Cabin crew extinguished the fire, and fire trucks were dispatched to check the firefighting situation and the passengers' health conditions.

Some passengers complained of respiratory discomfort, but fortunately, none were transported to a hospital, and no notable casualties were reported.

At the time, 221 passengers and 7 crew members were on board the aircraft, many of whom were reportedly families traveling to Da Nang for the Chuseok holiday.

Air Seoul explained that after having all passengers disembark, it deployed a replacement aircraft for safety inspections, resulting in a departure delay of approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes from the originally scheduled time.

A total of 219 passengers boarded the replacement aircraft, excluding 2 who voluntarily gave up their boarding.

Air Seoul and fire authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire, noting that the blaze occurred even though the passenger had taken short-circuit prevention measures for the auxiliary battery.

Air Seoul stated that it plans to strengthen future safety measures.

(Photo provided by Air Seoul, Yonhap News)