Fire on Overhead Bin of Flight to Hong Kong... Poured Water, Juice, and Even Cola

The exact cause of ignition has not been confirmed
Further investigation to be conducted
No casualties reported

A fire broke out on a plane heading from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China to Hong Kong, forcing an emergency landing.

On the 21st, local media such as China.com and Guangming Online reported that a fire occurred in the overhead luggage compartment on a flight from Hangzhou to Hong Kong the previous day, causing the aircraft to make an emergency landing at Fuzhou Changle International Airport.

Fire incident on a flight heading to Hong Kong. Weibo

Wen, a native of Hangzhou, told China.com in an interview, "About 30 minutes after takeoff, someone in the front seat suddenly shouted, 'There is a fire,'" adding, "The smell of burning plastic spread everywhere from the overhead luggage compartment, and black smoke rose." He continued, "All the passengers stood up, grabbed water bottles, and worked together with the flight attendants to extinguish the flames."

According to reports, passengers and crew poured bottled water, juice, and cola onto the overhead luggage compartment where the fire broke out. Afterwards, they brought firefighting equipment prepared on board to suppress the fire.

A passenger assisting a flight attendant. Weibo

Local media reported that the fire is believed to have been caused by a mobile battery, but the exact cause of ignition has not been confirmed, and further investigation will be conducted. There were no casualties.

Hong Kong Airlines stated in a press release issued that day, "A fire broke out in the overhead luggage compartment, prompting an emergency route change and a safe landing at Fuzhou Changle Airport," adding, "The crew made timely decisions to minimize the risk of the accident and ensure the safety of passengers."