A man suffered minor burns after a power bank exploded in his pocket in a business lounge in Melbourne's main airport, prompting an evacuation and brief chaos among travelers. The incident occurred Thursday in the Qantas Airways lounge, where witnesses described panic as smoke filled the area and the man's clothing caught on fire, per NBC News. Firefighters responded quickly, with the lounge cleared out as a precaution. The injured man, reportedly in his 50s, was taken to the hospital and is said to be in stable condition, with burns to his fingers and leg. Passengers described a scene of alarm as battery acid from the device sprayed across the lounge.
One witness recounts hearing screams and seeing smoke, while others praised the swift actions of bystanders and staff—one of whom reportedly got the injured man into a shower to douse the flames. "Quick thinking from the man who jumped in to help and the staff who got him in the shower and everyone else out of the lounge," wrote filmmaker Leanne Tonkes, who was present during the incident.
The mishap highlights ongoing concerns about lithium-ion batteries in air travel, per NBC. The TSA requires power banks with such batteries to be packed in carry-on luggage, not checked bags, due to fire risks. Some major airlines—including Emirates, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines—forbid the use of power banks during flights altogether. Incidents involving battery fires aren't unprecedented: An Air China flight made an emergency landing last month after a similar battery fire.
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