Passenger's Portable Battery Catches Fire Just Before Takeoff at Cheongju Airport; All 167 Aboard Evacuated

All 167 passengers evacuated a Jeju Air passenger jet at Cheongju International Airport in North Chungcheong Province after a portable battery carried by a passenger caught fire just before takeoff. No injuries have been reported from the incident.

The fire broke out at around 7:36 p.m. on the 10th aboard a Jeju Air aircraft that was scheduled to depart Cheongju Airport for Jeju Island. The blaze reportedly began in a portable battery belonging to a seated passenger just before the aircraft began taxiing to the runway.

When the fire broke out, a nearby passenger smothered the flames by covering the battery with clothing. A flight attendant then placed the device in a fire-containment pouch designed for lithium battery fires, extinguishing the blaze, according to reports. The fire was put out immediately, but smoke spread through the cabin, prompting all passengers to evacuate the aircraft.

Jeju Air is currently carrying out work to vent the remaining smoke from the cabin. The airline is also assessing whether the aircraft is fit to resume normal operations, reports said.