HK Express passenger injured after power bank overheats on flight to Jeju
A traveller was injured after a power bank overheated and emitted smoke aboard a HK Express flight from Hong Kong to South Korea on Sunday, prompting crew members to deploy emergency safety measures before the aircraft landed safely. The incident occurred on flight UO676 to Jeju, which was carrying 236 passengers and seven crew. The budget airline, a subsidiary of Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay…
A passenger aboard a HK Express flight from Hong Kong to Jeju suffered a burn when a power bank stored in her bag overheated and emitted smoke on Sunday. The incident occurred on flight UO676, which was carrying 236 passengers and seven crew members. The budget airline, a subsidiary of Hong Kong's flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways, immediately deployed standard safety protocols.
Crew members placed the overheating device in a heat-resistant fire containment bag and submerged it in water to control the situation. The woman, in her fifties and a Hong Kong citizen, suffered a burn to her left thumb while removing the device from her bag. Despite declining ambulance transport, she sought medical treatment independently upon disembarking.
No other injuries were reported, and the flight landed safely in Jeju at around 6am local time. HK Express expressed regret for any inconvenience caused and thanked passengers for their patience. The airline reaffirmed its commitment to passenger and crew safety, emphasizing that passengers are prohibited from using in-seat power or power banks to charge electronic devices during flights.
Power banks are also banned from overhead storage bins, requiring them to be kept in cabin baggage stowed under the seat or in designated storage areas.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
