Smoke fills Royal Brunei Airlines cabin after power bank explodes
Brunei’s national carrier said no passengers or crew members were injured after a power bank device exploded and caught fire mid-flight.
Video footage uploaded on Facebook showed the Royal Brunei Airlines cabin filled with smoke as panicked passengers were seen in discomfort covering their faces.
All standard operating procedures were followed and crew quickly extinguished the fire, Royal Brunei said in a statement.
The flight, which departed Hong Kong, landed in Brunei’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan without incident.
It has sparked an online debate in Brunei over the sale and use of cheap generic powerbanks.
The devices are banned from checked bags on most airlines globally but can be transported in carry-on luggage.
The International Civil Aviation Organization’s latest guidance says no powerbanks with a capacity exceeding the equivalent of 27,000 mAh should be allowed on flights.
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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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