Dramatic videos show plane passengers running to escape down emergency slides after a vape pen exploded in a carry-on bag.
All 236 passengers were forced to evacuate an EasyJet flight from Greece to London Gatwick Airport on Tuesday after smoke suddenly filled the cabin just before takeoff, with some shouting false fears of a “bomb”. according to the Independent.
“I could smell and see smoke coming towards us from the front of the plane,” Malachi Griffith, who was travelling with his father, told Storyful.
“Then a girl ran down the hall with a bag… and smoke was coming out of it and then there was a crackling sound, which was the sound of flames,” he said, adding that it “caused panic.”
Griffith was among those who filmed other passengers running to safety on the emergency slides. Although no one was injured by the fire, one passenger was reported to have suffered friction burns on the slide.
A power bank and e-cigarettes in a passenger's carry-on luggage appeared to be the source of the fire, officials said.
“EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY8216 from Heraklion to London Gatwick was evacuated during boarding prior to departure on 17 September, due to a fire in a passenger’s hand luggage,” the company told the Independent in a statement.
“Fire services attended the aircraft and the cabin crew evacuated the aircraft in accordance with procedures.
“Customers were cared for at the terminal while a replacement aircraft and crew were arranged to fly them home later in the day. Safety is our top priority.”
Although not common, vape explosions can be dangerous to those using them or those in nearby areas. Additional hazards occur when vapes come into contact with propellants such as oxygen, propane, and gasoline. according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
This was not the only technology-related incident that led to a cabin fire this year.
In July, an American Airlines flight was evacuated and three passengers were injured at San Francisco International Airport after a passenger's laptop caught a fire.
