Fire breaks out in Air China flight's overhead bin, no injuries reported

A horrifying mid-air fire incident unfolded on board Air China flight CA139 on Saturday. It was reported that a fire broke out in the overhead luggage compartment while the aircraft was flying from Hangzhou, China, to Seoul, South Korea. The incident was captured by passengers on-board and has gone viral on social media. According to local media reports, the Seoul bound flight had to make an emergency landing at Shanghai due to the fire incident, caused by a lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on bag.

Watch the video of the incident here:

As per a report published in South China Morning Post, the Airbus A321 aircraft departed Hangzhou's Xiaoshan International Airport at 9:47 am local time with 155 passengers on board. Midway through the journey, smoke and flames were seen coming from one of the overhead bins, creating panic inside the cabin. The pilots promptly declared an emergency and diverted the flight to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

The plane safely landed at around 11:05 am, and luckily no injuries were reported. The Air China issued a statement after the incident which read as, “On October 18, on flight CA139 from Hangzhou to Incheon, a lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on luggage stored in the overhead compartment spontaneously ignited.” Air China later also said that the crew’s quick response ensured the safety of everyone on board. Authorities are investigating the cause of the battery fire.