Power bank suspected in emergency landing in India
An IndiGo flight was diverted to Hyderabad after smoke was detected in the cabin; no one was injured.
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An IndiGo aircraft flying from Delhi to Chennai was diverted to Hyderabad on Sunday after smoke was detected on board. According to the airline, it came from a personal electronic device; several Indian media outlets reported that it was probably a power bank.
The flight was 6E 6115, which flew from Delhi to Chennai on 11 October. According to IndiGo, the crew brought the situation under control and the pilots diverted to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. The aircraft landed there safely.
The airline said smoke had been seen near a passenger’s personal electronic device. Indian media reported that a power bank may have caught fire in or near an overhead luggage compartment. That characterisation has not yet been definitively established by the authorities.
After landing, a replacement aircraft was arranged for the passengers. According to The Indian Express, all passengers and crew members were safe and no injuries were reported. The precise extent of the delay was not described consistently in all reports.
The incident is being investigated by the relevant aviation and airport authorities. Until that investigation is complete, it cannot be established whether the power bank itself was the cause, or whether a defect in another device or in the luggage played a role.
The incident is once again drawing attention to lithium batteries on aircraft. Such batteries can overheat if damaged or affected by a technical defect, but one incident does not mean that power banks are generally unsafe. Nor does the incident say anything about the brand or type of device.
Airlines treat smoke or fire in the cabin as a safety incident requiring immediate action. The difference from a fire in the cargo hold is that cabin crew can locate and tackle a problem in the passenger area more quickly. According to IndiGo, the crew acted in line with the applicable safety procedures.
The flight ultimately could not continue to Chennai according to the original schedule. For passengers, the main point is that the aircraft landed safely and that the cause is still being investigated. The reports do not confirm any new general flight bans or changed rules as a result of this flight.
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The text distinguishes the confirmed report of smoke and the diversion from the cause, which has not yet been definitively established. The safe landing and absence of reported injuries have been confirmed by multiple sources.
- confirmed IndiGo flight 6E 6115 from Delhi to Chennai was diverted to Hyderabad on 11 October. — Mentioned by India Today and The New Indian Express. source
- confirmed The crew brought the smoke or fire on board under control and the aircraft landed safely. — Based on IndiGo’s statement in the reports. source
- confirmed A power bank is cited as the suspected cause, but the investigation is ongoing. — The media report the power bank as the suspected source and say that the authorities are investigating. source
- confirmed No injuries were reported. — The Indian Express reports that passengers and crew were safe. source
Editor's note
The diversion and safe landing have been confirmed. Several media outlets reported that a power bank caused the fire, but according to the available information this remains under investigation.Sources
- Power bank catches fire mid-air, Delhi-Chennai IndiGo flight diverted to Hyderabad — India Today
- IndiGo flight makes emergency landing in Hyderabad after power bank catches fire — The Indian Express
- Chennai-bound IndiGo flight diverted to Hyderabad after passenger’s power bank catches fire — The New Indian Express
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „india indigo”
- NOS — „india indigo”
- Het Parool — „india indigo”