Terrifying moment plane fills with smoke after power bank explodes

The power bank, which is prohibited from being placed in overhead lockers, was reportedly owned by a passenger for charging their iPad.

Passengers on board a plane have captured the terrifying moment the cabin filled with smoke after a power bank in the overhead lockers is said to have exploded.

Footage taken on board the aircraft travelling to Shanghai in China from the Philippines shows the moment the front of the cabin filled with smoke, sending passengers into a panic.

Several passengers made their way to the back of the Royal Air aircraft to avoid inhaling the fumes which were quickly filling the air. The pilot was forced to carry out an emergency landing in Hong Kong.

The power bank, which is prohibited from being placed in overhead lockers, was reportedly owned by a passenger for charging their iPad. It remains unclear what caused the charger to explode. The overpowering fumes led to a three-hour delay.

Smoke fills plane cabin as passengers attempt to escape it.
Passengers on board the Royal Air flight to China were trying to escape as the smoke filled the cabin. Source: Jam Press

Emergency landing causes three hour delay

After landing in Hong Kong, the passengers — who originally departed from the Philippine island of Boracay — were evacuated while airport workers cleaned and ventilated the cabin, which lasted for around an hour.

Passengers were then allowed back on board before continuing on their journey to Shanghai. They arrived at their destination at around 12.30am, three hours later than scheduled. No injuries were reported.

Following the incident, the airline reiterated its commitment to passenger safety and thanked the cabin crew for their professionalism in the matter. They also expressed their gratitude to emergency workers at Hong Kong International Airport for cleaning up the plane in a timely fashion.

An investigation is underway to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

with Jam Press

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