Power bank fire diverts Chennai-bound IndiGo flight to Hyderabad

Dhaka: An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai made an emergency diversion to Hyderabad on October 11 after a fire broke out in the overhead bin caused by a malfunctioning power bank, according to Indian media reports.

The aircraft, an Airbus A321neo, landed safely at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. All passengers and crew members were reported to be unharmed.

The flight, 6E6115, departed Delhi at around 1:30 pm and was scheduled to arrive in Chennai at 4:00 pm.

A video recorded by a passenger shows people trying to fight the flames with their bags as the fire spread inside the overhead bin. The cabin crew eventually put out the fire using extinguishers.

In a statement, IndiGo said smoke was detected coming from a passenger's personal electronic device, and the crew responded immediately. The airline did not name the power bank as the source, describing it only as a customer's personal electronic device.

The pilots then diverted the aircraft to Hyderabad in line with established safety procedures.

After landing, IndiGo arranged a replacement aircraft to carry the passengers to Chennai. The airline said passengers received refreshments and updates on their onward travel.

"We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers due to this unforeseen situation and are making all efforts to minimize it," the airline said.

IndiGo also reiterated that the safety of passengers and crew remains its top priority.