Passengers panic as power bank catches fire on Indian flight to Chennai

A video circulating on social media shows flames in an overhead compartment of an Indian domestic flight to Chennai as passengers removed their belongings. HYDERABAD: A power bank reportedly caught fire in an overhead luggage compartment of an IndoGo flight from Delhi to Chennai, causing the aircraft to be diverted to Hyderabad.

A video circulating on social media showed panicked passengers removing luggage from the overhead compartment as flames emerged.

The airline said the flight was diverted "after smoke was detected from a customer's personal electronic device. The cabin crew responded promptly and the situation was brought under control".

All passengers and crew were reported safe.

Power banks contain lithium-ion batteries, which can overheat or catch fire if damaged, defective or improperly handled.

Many airlines instituted rules on power banks, including outright bans on their use during the flight, following a fire on board a South Korean aircraft in January 2025. Korean airlines banned the stowing of power banks in overhead compartments and passengers are required to carry them on their person.

Other Asian airlines such as Thai Airways, AirAsia, Eva Air and China Airlines banned the use of external batteries on board their aircraft.