Power bank catches fire on China Eastern flight
The cabin crew extinguished the blaze as passengers looked on in panic
ATT Desk Report 
A power bank caught fire inside an overhead bin aboard a China Eastern Airlines flight after it landed at Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport, prompting cabin crew to extinguish the blaze as passengers looked on in panic.
The incident occurred on July 24 aboard Flight MU2421, a daily domestic service from Lanzhou to Guiyang in southwestern China.
Footage circulating on social media showed flames and smoke pouring from an open overhead compartment as a flight attendant reached in to tackle the fire while the aircraft was still taxiing to the terminal.
The aircraft involved was reportedly an Airbus A320. The fire is believed to have started when a power bank inside a passenger's carry-on bag ignited.
Cabin crew extinguished the fire before passengers disembarked, and airport firefighters also responded. No injuries were reported, although the aircraft sustained minor smoke damage, according to media reports.
One passenger told local media that people near the front of the cabin began shouting and rushing towards the rear after the fire was spotted, initially believing it was outside the aircraft before realising the flames were coming from the overhead luggage compartment.
Another passenger said the cabin crew remained calm and urged passengers not to panic while working to contain the fire.
China Eastern's safety policy allows power banks only in carry-on baggage and explicitly prohibits passengers from storing them, or spare lithium batteries, in overhead bins. Charging devices with power banks during flights is also prohibited under the airline's rules.
Since June 2025, Chinese aviation authorities have enforced stricter restrictions on power banks carried on domestic flights, banning devices without the mandatory 3C certification mark, as well as recalled units and those with unclear labelling, following a series of in-flight lithium battery fires.
Similar incidents have previously raised concern in the region. In March 2025, a Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A320 travelling from Hangzhou diverted to Fuzhou after a power bank caught fire in an overhead bin, with all 168 people on board evacuating safely.
In January 2025, an Air Busan Airbus A321 was destroyed by fire at Gimhae International Airport in South Korea, with investigators identifying an overhead power bank as the likely cause.
Experts say lithium-ion batteries can enter thermal runaway when damaged or exposed to heat, generating intense flames that can reignite even after the initial fire has been extinguished. Regulators require such batteries to be carried in the cabin rather than in checked baggage.
