 "Power bank placed in overhead compartment might have caused fire in South Korean plane: Probe report")
An investigation into the accident that caused the fire in a South Korean plane in January was most likely caused by a portable power bank.
At least seven people sustained injuries after the Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, caught fire in the rear section of the aircraft. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides.
According to South Korea’s transport ministry, preliminary investigation findings suggest that the fire may have been caused by a breakdown in the insulation within a power bank battery.
The power bank was lying in an overhead luggage compartment where the fire was first reported. The debris from the device had scorch marks, a statement by the transport ministry read.
It is, however, not clear what caused the power bank to break down.
Due to safety concerns, airlines worldwide have long prohibited power banks in checked luggage. The lithium-ion batteries inside these devices can generate intense heat and catch fire if they short-circuit due to damage or manufacturing defects.
The accident left nearly half of the fuselage burnt but its wings and engines on both sides remain undamaged.
A week after the Air Busan fire, the airline strengthened its regulations further, announcing a ban on passengers carrying power banks in their onboard luggage.
South Korea suffered the worst aviation disaster on its soil in December when a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, flying from Thailand to Muan on December 29, crash-landed and exploded into a fireball after slamming into a concrete barrier.
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More ShortsThat crash killed 179 of the 181 passengers and crew members on board.
With inputs from AFP
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