Auxiliary Battery in Bag 'Pung'... 236 Passengers Trying to Board Plane Panic

Auxiliary Battery and Electronic Cigarette Explode in Luggage
All 236 Passengers Evacuated Using Escape Slide
No Casualties Except Passenger with Friction Burns

An explosion occurred on a British easyJet passenger plane that was preparing for departure. [Source=Captured screen from the British Daily Mail report]

An explosion occurred in a passenger's bag on a plane preparing for takeoff, causing a commotion as over 200 people evacuated.

According to foreign media such as the UK's Daily Mail and The Independent on the 26th, an explosion incident occurred around 1:55 PM local time on the 17th aboard a British low-cost airline EasyJet flight (EZY8261). The passenger plane was scheduled to depart from Heraklion Airport on the Greek island of Crete to London Gatwick Airport in the UK. The airline suspects that a fire broke out when a portable battery and an electronic cigarette in the luggage exploded while passengers were boarding.

A witness stated, "There was a loud 'bang' explosion sound, sparks flew, and black smoke quickly filled the cabin." Some passengers screamed in shock and reportedly shouted "It's a bomb" while calling for help. A video taken during the incident showed flames spreading from the seats as passengers, terrified, stood up and panicked. Subsequently, all 236 passengers evacuated the plane by sliding down the emergency escape slides at the instruction of the flight attendants.

Fortunately, there were no casualties from the explosion, but it was reported that some passengers suffered friction burns while moving through the emergency exit. Due to the incident, passengers had to wait at the airport for about nine hours and were only able to board a flight to London after 11 PM. The airline stated in a press release, "A fire broke out in a passenger's carry-on luggage, leading to evacuation before the plane's departure. Our airline always prioritizes passenger safety. Fire authorities responded quickly, and flight attendants safely evacuated passengers according to procedures."