Power bank sparks fire aboard China Eastern flight after landing
Dhaka: A power bank caught fire inside an overhead bin aboard a China Eastern Airlines flight after it landed at Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport, prompting cabin crew to battle the flames as passengers looked on in panic.
The incident occurred on July 24 aboard Flight MU2421, a domestic daily service from Lanzhou to the Southwestern Chinese city of Guiyang.
Footage circulating on social media showed flames and smoke pouring from an open overhead compartment as a flight attendant reached in to tackle the blaze while the aircraft was still taxiing toward the terminal.
The aircraft involved was reportedly an Airbus A320. The fire is believed to have started when a power bank inside a passenger's carry-on bag ignited.
Cabin crew put out the fire before passengers disembarked, and airport firefighters also responded. No injuries were reported, though the jet suffered minor smoke damage, according to media reports.
One passenger recalled to local media that people near the front of the cabin began shouting and rushing toward the rear once the fire was spotted, initially mistaking it for an external blaze before realizing the flames were coming from the luggage rack overhead.
Another traveler said crew members stayed calm and urged passengers not to panic while working to contain the fire.
China Eastern's safety policy permits power banks only in carry-on luggage and explicitly bars passengers from stowing them, or spare lithium batteries, inside overhead bins. Charging devices with power banks during flights is also prohibited under the airline's rules.
Since June 2025, Chinese aviation authorities have enforced tighter restrictions on power banks carried on domestic flights, banning devices lacking the mandatory 3C certification mark, along with recalled units and those with unclear labeling, following a string of in-flight lithium battery fires.
Similar incidents have raised alarm in the region before. In March 2025, a Hong Kong Airlines A320 traveling from Hangzhou diverted to Fuzhou after a power bank fire broke out in an overhead bin, with all 168 people aboard evacuating safely.
In January 2025, an Air Busan A321 was destroyed by fire at Gimhae International Airport in South Korea, with investigators pointing to an overhead power bank as a likely cause.
Experts note that lithium-ion batteries can enter thermal runaway when damaged or exposed to heat, generating intense flames that can reignite even after initial suppression. Regulators require such batteries to be carried in the cabin, not in checked baggage.
