Commuter’s power bank catches fire in Singapore MRT train

 

The Singapore MRT commuter posted a photo showing her soot-covered shirt after a power bank caught fire.

PETALING JAYA: 

A power bank belonging to a Singapore MRT commuter caught fire yesterday evening, forcing all 650 passengers on board to disembark.

However, no one was injured in the incident, nor were train services affected, the Straits Times reported.

The incident comes a month after a cabin fire in a Korean airliner suspected of being caused by a lithium-ion battery carried in an overhead bin.

Airlines such as Thai Airways and AirAsia have banned the use of power banks during flight and told passengers to keep power banks on their person and not stored in the overhead bins.

The Singapore commuter, who wanted to be known as Ms Chen, said she was not using her power bank, which she had kept in her handbag.

When the fire broke out, she immediately threw her handbag to the ground. She and the other passengers then rushed out of the carriage when the doors opened after the emergency button was pressed.

She posted a video of the incident, along with photos of her soot-covered hand and shirt.

Ms Chen was provided first aid by MRT staff. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said preliminary findings showed that the fire might have been an electrical origin from the power bank. - FMT