In a terrifying scene aboard a packed airliner, a power bank caught fire inside an overhead baggage compartment on a China Eastern Airlines flight shortly after the aircraft landed in southwestern China as cabin crew battled the flames.
The fire broke out on China Eastern Flight MU2421 after it arrived at Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport on July 24, 2026, following a domestic flight from Lanzhou.
Video posted on social media shows flames and smoke coming from the open overhead bin. A flight attendant can be seen reaching into the compartment while the crew works to bring the fire under control.
The aircraft, reported to be an Airbus A320, was taxiing toward the terminal when the power bank ignited inside a passenger’s carry-on baggage.
Cabin crew extinguished the fire before passengers disembarked. Airport firefighters also responded to the aircraft.
No injuries were reported. The aircraft sustained minor smoke damage, according to the Aviation Safety Network.
One passenger told Chinese media that travelers near the front of the cabin began shouting and moving toward the rear after the fire was discovered.
“I thought the outside of the plane was on fire, but when I looked up, I saw flames coming out of the overhead luggage rack,” the passenger said, according to a report cited by The Sun.
Another passenger said the crew remained calm and told travelers not to panic while dealing with the fire.
China Eastern allows power banks only in carry-on baggage, but its published safety rules state that passengers must not place power banks or spare lithium batteries in overhead bins.
Passengers are also prohibited from using power banks to charge electronic devices during China Eastern flights.
China introduced stricter rules for power banks carried aboard domestic flights in June 2025. The Civil Aviation Administration of China banned power banks without China Compulsory Certification markings, known as 3C, as well as recalled models and devices with unclear certification labels.
The restrictions followed several serious fires involving portable lithium batteries aboard passenger aircraft.
A power bank fire in an overhead compartment forced a Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A320 flying from Hangzhou to Hong Kong to divert to Fuzhou in March 2025. All 168 passengers and crew escaped without injury.
In January 2025, an Air Busan Airbus A321 was destroyed by fire at Gimhae International Airport in South Korea while preparing to depart for Hong Kong. Investigators identified a power bank stored in an overhead bin as a possible source of the fire.
Lithium-ion batteries can enter thermal runaway when damaged, defective or exposed to excessive heat. The reaction can produce intense heat, smoke and flames and may continue even after the visible fire has initially been suppressed.
Regulators require spare lithium batteries and power banks to remain in the passenger cabin rather than checked baggage.