An exploding power bank has left a man with burns to his fingers and legs and forced the evacuation of a Qantas business lounge at an Australian airport.
The device exploded in the man’s pocket, injuring him and forcing the evacuation of 150 people from Melbourne Airport just after 11am.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Power bank explodes at Melbourne airport lounge.
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The man was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Other customers in the lounge say they heard screaming as the man in his 50s tried to remove the burning device from his pocket.
A photo taken by a bystander shows the remnants of the charred device on the lounge floor, surrounded by plastic warning signs.
About 150 people were in the lounge at the time, which was closed for two hours while the mess and acrid smell were cleared up.
Qantas confirmed the incident, which happened as the airline reviews its policies on power banks and spare batteries on board.
“The lounge was evacuated as a precaution and emergency services treated the customer on site,” a spokesperson told 7NEWS.
A charred power bank on the floor of the Qantas International Business Lounge at Melbourne Airport Credit: lhaveaname7617/Reddit
Recent power bank fires on board planes have created worldwide headlines, forcing a response from airlines.
Emirates has banned the use of power banks aboard its planes, and Virgin Australia recently updated its policy asking passengers to keep them within arm’s reach.
Firefighters say many battery fires are almost impossible to extinguish because even copious amounts of water are not enough to put out the intense fire that often has to burn itself out.
Some aircraft are equipped with Kevlar envelopes specifically designed for battery fires.
Crew are trained to place the burning device into the envelope, seal it and throw it into the toilet bowl which is usually made from metal.
A Qantas spokesperson says an update on its spare battery policy is expected in the coming weeks.
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