Commuters in south-east China witnessed a horrifying incident last week when a passenger’s phone charger suddenly exploded in his backpack.
The man was taking a bus in Guangdong last Wednesday when his bag burst into a ball of flames right in front of him.
He immediately threw the bag onto the floor and the fire extinguished itself seconds later. He survived the incident unhurt, according to local media.
The man is seen taking a bus in Guangdong last Wednesday when his bag suddenly burst into a ball of flames right in front of him. It was later discovered that his power bank had exploded
Other passengers are seen cowering in fear as the man’s backpack went up in flames
The harrowing episode occurred at about 8:42pm on the bus No. 551 en route to Donghua Road South, according to Legal Evening News.
The bus’ CCTV security camera footage shows a man sitting with his backpack in front of him in the mid section of the bus.
Smoke then started to emerge from his backpack.
Less than a second later, a blinding light was seen as the bag exploded into a ball of flames.
The man is seen placing his backpack in front of him (left). Moments later, smoke is seen emerging from the bag (right), alarming the man and his friend next to him
Less than a second later, a blinding light is seen as the bag exploded into a ball of flames
The man immediately removed the bag and threw it onto the ground, where the fire extinguished itself.
An object engulfed in flames also fell out of the bag. It was later identified to be a portable power bank.
Hearing a commotion, the driver reportedly opened the rear doors immediately and instructed the man to throw the backpack outside.
While the explosion happened so close to the man’s body, no one was reportedly injured
The man immediately removed the bag and threw it onto the ground
The driver then hastily kicked the charger out of the bus. It was still emitting smoke and bright sparks after exploding.
While the explosion happened so close to the man’s body, no one was reportedly injured.
He and other passengers were completely caught off guard when the phone charger erupted.
The cause of the explosion is not known and the make of the device hasn’t yet been revealed.
The driver opened the rear doors and instructed the man to throw the backpack out
The driver kicks the charger out of the bus. It is still emitting smoke and bright sparks
Lithium-ion batteries built into devices like smartphones or individual power banks are known to be a fire risk.
A fire caused by a short circuit could occur if the batteries are charging too quickly and generate excess heat.
The aviation industry has strict rules aimed at preventing accidental activation of batteries on flights, such as ensuring spare batteries are kept in protective packages and can be taken on as carry-on luggage.
In late February, a passenger’s power bank caught fire in an overhead bin on a China Southern Airline flight from Guangzhou to Shanghai.