A power bank exploded and sparked a fire on a flight, leaving passengers facing a mid-air scare.
The incident happened during Aeroméxico flight AM371 from Tapachula to Mexico City yesterday (2 September).
The battery exploded on an unoccupied seat after being brought on board by a passenger.
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Aeroméxico confirmed the incident in a statement.
The airline said: “Today, on flight AM371, a power bank that a passenger was carrying exploded on an unoccupied seat.”
The explosion caused a fire to break out inside the aircraft.
The airline said: “Following the incident, Aeroméxico activated its safety protocols and the aircraft subsequently landed without any problems.”
Nobody was injured or required medical attention, as reported by Need To Know.
The aircraft continued to Mexico City and landed safely.
Once the plane arrived at the airport, the device was handed over to authorities for analysis and the appropriate procedures.
The airline added: “Aeroméxico urges its passengers to follow the recommendations regarding the use of lithium batteries during flights at all times.”
Power banks contain lithium-ion or lithium-polymer cells, allowing them to store large amounts of energy in a small package.
In rare cases, a battery can undergo a phenomenon known as thermal runaway.
This is when a rise in temperature generates more heat than the battery can dissipate, potentially causing it to catch fire or explode.
The cause of the battery failure has not been disclosed.
It is also unclear what make or model of power bank was involved.
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