Exploding e-cigarette causes airport panic
An exploding e-cigarette caused momentary panic at Las Vegas airport, causing passengers to run to the exits.
Passengers thought the several loud bangs made by the vaping device were gunshots.
The e-cig was being charged in the terminal when it exploded, leaving a plume of smoke behind. Authorities said there was no fire and no-one was injured.
The fire department quickly cleared an area of the terminal, but it took a while to rescreen passengers who had evacuated the scene.
However, no flights were affected.
Passenger Dave Hamman said people immediately began running towards exits after hearing ‘what sounded like gunfire’.
Airport spokesperson Christine Crews said the e-cigarette was being charged at a charge station and it appeared to be an accidental explosion caused by possible overcharging.
Under FAA rules, vaping devices are banned from checked baggage but can be taken on a plane in carry-on bags.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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