Lithium battery catches fire during flight and forces plane to make emergency landing

An Air China flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a lithium battery caught fire on board. The incident occurred on flight CA139, which departed from Hangzhou, China, bound for Seoul, South Korea.

The battery, stored in a passenger’s carry-on luggage, began to smoke and burn in the overhead compartment. The crew reacted immediately, controlled the fire and diverted the plane to Shanghai. Despite the scare, there are no reports of injuries.

Airlines have been tightening restrictions on the transport of lithium batteries, used in devices such as mobile phones, laptops and power banks, due to the risk of overheating and fire.