Passenger badly hurt when lithium battery explodes on a plane

A passenger has been badly hurt after a lithium battery exploded on a packed airliner.

The man suffered serious burns when a portable power bank he was using to charge a mobile phone exploded.

The crew on board the AirAsia flight flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Hong Kong immediately requested an emergency landing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

According to online news website Tuoi Tre News the 26-year-old man suffered burns to 12% of his body, including his left hand, left leg, left buttock, and left thigh.

Lithium-ion battery fires on board planes are rarely publicised but a fire in a device could emit toxic smoke and potentially the battery may even explode as it did in this case, causing damage to the aircraft and putting lives at risk.

AvSax are the world’s best-selling aircraft fire containment bags by far and are now on more than 15,373 aircraft operated by 75 airline companies across the world and have been used 31 times to deal with emergencies since the start of 2017.

AvSax won the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the UK in 2018.