Flight forced to deplane after passenger's carry-on bag catches fire

The passenger’s power pack, possibly powered by a lithium-ion battery, has been blamed for the fire. (iStock)

Passengers were forced to disembark from a China Southern Airlines flight to Shanghai after a power bank caught fire in an overhead compartment Sunday.

Channel News Asia reported that passengers were boarding the flight when smoke started to pour into the cabin and a passenger’s bag was seen in flames in the overhead bin.

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In a video recorded by a passenger, a flight attendant and fellow passenger are seen attempting to extinguish the flames with bottles of water and juice. Security and fire departments came to the scene and the fire was put out with their assistance.

The passenger responsible for the fiery package was escorted off by the police to help in the investigation. Evidence shows that the power bank, most likely powered by a lithium-ion battery, was not being used when it caught fire, the airline said.

The news site also reported that no other damage was caused because of the fire.

A replacement aircraft was brought in to the Guangzhou Baiyun International, where it departed for Shanghai Honggiao International Airport at 2:53 local time, three hours after the original scheduled time according to FlightAware.

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Lithium-ion batteries – used in cell phones, laptops and power banks – have been known to catch fire. The batteries are banned from checked luggage, but are allowed in carry-on luggage, as long as they can be turned off.

In January, some airlines banned smart luggage because of the potential risk posed by lithium-ion batteries.