A China International Airlines (Air China) passenger plane that departed from Hangzhou, China and was headed to Incheon made an emergency landing in Shanghai due to a fire that broke out in carry-on luggage. There were no reported injuries.
Chinese media reported that flight CA139 (Airbus A321), which took off from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport at 9:47 a.m. local time on the 18th, made an emergency landing at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at about 11:05 a.m. After extinguishing the fire and completing inspections, the aircraft departed Shanghai again at 3:03 p.m. and arrived at Incheon International Airport at 5:34 p.m.
A video posted on social media showed flames shooting up from an overhead bin as flight attendants used fire extinguishers to put out the blaze while passengers screamed. An internet user who identified as a passenger said the fire spread with a "bang" from an explosion.
China International Airlines said on social media that it confirmed a lithium battery inside a piece of carry-on luggage brought onboard by a passenger spontaneously ignited, and said the flight attendants immediately carried out firefighting procedures and there were no injuries. It added that the plane landed at Shanghai Pudong Airport with safety as the top priority and resumed normal operations after inspections.
According to Yonhap News Agency, after takeoff a portable battery brought onboard by a Korean passenger caught fire. The Korean passenger who had the burning portable battery was questioned by Chinese authorities immediately after the emergency landing and is expected to return to Korea on the 19th.