Two passengers onboard a Scoot flight from Taipei to Singapore were injured yesterday after a power bank reportedly caught fire.
The airline told reporters today that the TR993 flight had to return to the Taoyuan International Airport gate after a passenger’s rechargeable power bank overheated and erupted in flames before take-off.
“Scoot sincerely apologises for the incident. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority,” the airline said.
The flight was supposed to depart at 7:35pm last night but reports said that Taiwan airport authorities were alerted to a fire five minutes later.
A photo circulating online showed thick smoke filling up the cabin while some passengers were standing along the aisle. A video showed panicked passengers standing up from their seats upon noticing a fire blazing at the end of the cabin.
The passenger and his partner sustained “minor burns” on their fingers and have been attended to by medics, said Scoot. Firefighters were also dispatched to extinguish the fire.
They added that the flight has been rescheduled and accommodation and meals were provided to the affected passengers.
Investigations are ongoing.
Other stories you should check out: