A fire broke out on a passenger plane heading to Singapore from Taipei Taiwan Airport in Taiwan, injuring two passengers and canceling the flight.
Video clips circulating on social media platforms showed passengers panicking after the fire broke out as a result of the explosion of the “Power Bank” device on board, last Tuesday.
The flight attendants tried to calm the passengers down, before being able to put them out using a fire extinguisher.
The owner of the phone charger, “Power Bank” and the passenger next to him, suffered minor burns on the fingers of their hands, and they received medical assistance.
The flight pilot told the passengers that take-off would be delayed for some time, but after about 3 hours of waiting, he indicated to the passengers to disembark, because the Taiwanese authorities did not allow the plane to embark on its flight.
Tips and Cautions
The German Authority for Quality Control advises that safety and security precautions should be taken into account when dealing with “Power Bank” batteries, to avoid damage or fire.
Among these important precautions is to avoid exposing power bank batteries to high temperatures or direct sunlight, and the ideal operating temperature for most of these batteries ranges between zero and 35 degrees Celsius, like smartphones.
If the battery overheats, it may cause a short circuit or trigger internal thermal reactions, which in severe cases may lead to an explosion.
It is better not to leave the power bank battery in the car or on the dashboard during the summer, and the German authority advised not to charge the smartphone with the power bank while placing them in the pants pocket, because the heat arising from the charging process, in addition to the summer heat, may lead to burns.
Care should also be taken if the power bank battery falls to the ground or if it is damaged in general, whether it is swollen or deformed, in such cases it must be disposed of properly.
If the battery is hot without connecting it to the mains or other devices during charging, this is another sign of danger, which necessitates not using it, and if the power bank battery discharges faster than usual, this also indicates that there are defects in it.
It is better not to charge mobile phones with a power bank battery without supervision, in addition to the need to check the temperature from time to time, and if the battery becomes so hot that it is difficult for the user to carry it in his hand, then in this case it must be disconnected from the electrical current immediately, in addition to It is not permissible to do the charging process for very long periods, such as charging mobile phones overnight.
