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Power bank blast sparks emergency evacuation on IndiGo flight in Chandigarh
Panic erupts during Chandigarh landing as suspected electronic malfunction forces slide deployment, leaving one passenger with ankle injury.
Panic gripped passengers aboard IndiGo flight 6E108 arriving from Hyderabad to Chandigarh at 3.50pm on Tuesday after a suspected power bank explosion triggered an emergency in the cabin during landing.
Police sources said the incident, initially reported by a passenger in seat 39C, caused smoke to spread throughout the aircraft despite the crew’s immediate attempt to use a fire extinguisher.
Upon landing safely at Chandigarh airport around 4pm, an emergency was declared and the aircraft was directed to Bay 1.
To ensure the safety of the 200 passengers—including two infants—and six crew members, emergency exits were opened at 4.25pm for a slide evacuation. The scramble to exit resulted in minor injuries and abrasions among travellers.
Among those hurt was a passenger, Richa, who sustained an ankle injury. She was travelling with her family from Goa and is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Zirakpur.
While the airport authorities deployed ambulances to transport the injured and stabilised those with minor abrasions, official communication on the incident is awaited.
The airport police station reported no formal notification of the event and Chandigarh International Airport Limited has yet to issue a statement regarding the technical cause of the blast or the evacuation.
