Power bank explosion forces China Southern Airlines flight to return

The incident occurred just 15 minutes after Flight CZ6850 departed from Hangzhou International Airport en route to Shenzhen on May 31.

A video shared on social media shows thick smoke rising from the luggage compartment, prompting passengers to scream and open it. There, they discovered that a camera battery and power bank were emitting smoke.

A flight attendant quickly used a mini fire extinguisher to put out the flames. The pilot then made the decision to return to the airport for safety, as reported by Sina.

In a social media post, China Southern Airlines explained that the camera batteries and power bank began smoking shortly after takeoff.

"The crew handled it properly and quickly eliminated the safety risk. To ensure safety, the flight immediately returned to the airport, and landed safely 15 minutes after take-off," the airline said, according to the South China Morning Post.

The airline also assured that no passengers were injured and pledged support for those affected by the delay. It reminded travelers to follow aviation safety guidelines to avoid similar incidents in the future.

This follows recent moves by several airlines, including Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, which have banned the use of lithium power banks on flights.

Airlines globally, including Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and South Korean Airlines, have also implemented similar bans due to the risk of fires and explosions associated with these devices.