A Royal Brunei Airlines flight BI636 was en route from Hong Kong to Bandar Seri Begawan when a power bank carried by one of its passengers exploded mid-flight.
Fortunately, according to a statement released by the Brunei national carrier, as reported by The Star, all the passengers and crew on board are unharmed from the explosion.
The incident was made public through a post by Francis Ngu Hown Hua where he shared the videos and pictures of the incident.
Watch them below:
[arve url=”https://www.facebook.com/ngu.hownhua/videos/pcb.2179461922074733/2179461738741418/?type=3&theater” aspect_ratio=”9:16″ /]
[arve url=”https://www.facebook.com/ngu.hownhua/videos/2179461852074740/” aspect_ratio=”9:16″ /]
From the videos that were shared, the crew can be seen handling the incident professionally and calmy, without triggering panic among the other passengers. One cabin crew can also be heard saying “Ok, sudah,” or “Ok, everything is sorted,” while asking all the passengers to go back to their seats.
This incident is an example why power banks can only be carried in hand luggage and not the check-in luggage. As reported by The Star, the Department of Civil Aviation has stated that this is to avoid the risk of fire in the cargo section, which is more difficult to handle and can lead to a bigger issue.
Royal Brunei Airlines also stated that,“Our cabin crew are trained to follow standard operating procedures to handle such incidents professionally and to ensure the safety of our guests at all times. We carry the recommended safety equipment on board at all times.”
Kudos to Royal Brunei Airlines crew for their swift action and please be reminded that if possible, do not use your power bank during the flight and always carry it in your hand luggage.
Also read: M’sian Catches Thief Red-Handed Stealing His Luggage on Plane, Warns People About Syndicate