Portable charger catches fire on S'pore-bound Scoot plane in Taiwan, 2 passengers injured

Tay Hong Yi
The Straits Times
Jan 11, 2023

Two passengers were injured on a Scoot flight set for take-off from Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan for Singapore on Tuesday, reportedly due to a portable charger catching fire.

The two were on Flight TR993, which was supposed to take off at 7.35pm on Tuesday evening and arrive in Singapore at around 12.20am the next day, reported Chinese-language publication Lianhe Zaobao, citing local media reports.

Firefighters were immediately deployed to the scene after the airport authorities were notified at around 7.40pm, and the plane returned to the airport tarmac from the runway after the fire was put out.

Photos circulating on social media showed part of the aircraft cabin filled with thick white smoke.

The passengers reportedly chose to continue on the flight after a medical evaluation determined that they did not need hospital treatment.

Departure information showed that the flight was still delayed as at 12.30am on Wednesday.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Scoot said the flight safely returned to the gate after a rechargeable power bank belonging to a customer overheated while the aircraft was on the ground.

“Medical assistance has been rendered to the owner of the power bank and his companion, who sustained minor burns to their fingers.

“We are rescheduling the flight and will provide affected passengers with accommodation and meals.”

It added: “Scoot sincerely apologises for the incident. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. Investigations into the incident are under way.”