GUWAHATI: An emergency evacuation was carried out at Chandigarh Airport on Tuesday, May 5, after a passenger’s power bank caught fire on board an IndiGo flight that had arrived from Hyderabad.
ALSO READ: Mamata Banerjee Refuses to Resign After Defeat, Alleges ‘Conspiracy’ in Bengal Polls
In a statement, IndiGo said the incident took place on flight 6E 108 after the aircraft had landed and was stationary. The airline noted that a passenger’s personal electronic device caught fire, prompting an immediate evacuation as a precautionary measure. All passengers were safely escorted to the terminal, and the airline assured that their well-being was being looked after. The aircraft will undergo detailed checks before returning to service.
Videos shared on social media platform X showed passengers evacuating onto the tarmac, with some reporting that smoke had filled the cabin. While initial accounts suggested a few passengers may have been injured and taken to hospital, authorities later provided an update.
DRAMATIC IN-FLIGHT EVACUATION AFTER POWER BANK CATCHES FIRE IN AN INDIGO PLANE IN CHANDIGARH AIRPORT. pic.twitter.com/2DpL8HSS6G
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) May 5, 2026
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the fire originated from a power bank placed in a seat pocket by a passenger seated in row 39. Cabin crew quickly responded, using fire extinguishers to contain the blaze before deploying emergency slides to evacuate passengers. The DGCA stated that no injuries were reported.
The incident comes amid updated DGCA safety regulations in 2026, which allow power banks only in carry-on baggage and prohibit their use for charging devices during flights. The rules also ban storing such items in overhead compartments, as fires in those areas are harder to detect and manage.
