A fire broke out on an Air China flight traveling from Hangzhou, China, to Seoul, South Korea, causing the plane to make an emergency landing. According to foreign news reports, the fire started when a lithium battery inside a passenger’s hand luggage caught fire during the flight.
The incident happened on Flight CA139, which took off from Hangzhou at 9:47 a.m. local time. Shortly after takeoff, smoke was noticed coming from the overhead bin, where the passenger’s bag was stored. The cabin crew immediately acted by following emergency safety procedures. They managed to control the fire quickly and prevented it from spreading to other parts of the cabin.
Thanks to the quick response of the flight attendants, no one was injured. Passengers remained calm while the crew handled the situation. For safety reasons, the plane was diverted to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, where it landed safely just after 11 a.m.
Videos and photos shared on Chinese social media platform Weibo showed smoke and burned luggage being removed from the cabin after the plane landed.
Authorities confirmed that the cause of the fire was the lithium battery and have reminded passengers to follow airline safety rules regarding electronic devices.
Although the situation was alarming, the airline praised the crew’s professionalism and swift action, which ensured the safety of everyone on board.