An IndiGo flight was evacuated minutes after landing at Chandigarh Airport (IXC) when a passenger’s power bank reportedly caught fire in the cabin. The incident occurred on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
Fire in the Fuselage
IndiGo has confirmed that, less than ten minutes after landing at 3:30 p.m. IST on Tuesday at IXC, a passenger’s power bank began smoking in the cabin of flight 6E-108, and the aircraft was subsequently evacuated. The aircraft was an Airbus A321, carrying around 200 passengers and six crew members from Hyderabad Airport (HYD) to Chandigarh Airport (IXC), officially known as Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, respectively.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the regulatory body primarily dealing with safety issues in the field of civil aviation in India, the device was in the seat pocket near 39C when the incident occurred.
As smoke began to spread throughout the aircraft cabin, two fire extinguishers were deployed to contain the fire, and within a few minutes all six of the aircraft’s emergency slides were activated to facilitate a full evacuation. IndiGo asserted that the evacuation was executed in the interest of every person’s safety, and all passengers were attended to by ground staff after being escorted safely to the nearest terminal, as India’s Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel secured the area.
Although announcements initially communicated that nobody was wounded, it was later reported that six people sustained minor injuries during the ordeal. Officials have asserted in the aftermath of the incident that there was no loss of life or damage to property.
Unhappy Evacuees
After the incident, passengers described chaotic scenes of the evacuation, with some claiming that following initial efforts to put out the fire, the power bank continued to smoulder. Many also recounted that they were first told to remain seated before abruptly being ordered to evacuate, compounding feelings of confusion and panic. One passenger fractured their leg during the chaos and requires surgery.
The staff onboard the aircraft have faced a wave of criticism since the incident occurred. Some family members of the injured alleged that the evacuation process harboured several inadequate elements, describing insufficient cushioning beneath the evacuation slides and serious delays in medical response. Reportedly, protests erupted at the airport before ambulances were arranged.
These grievances were expressed in a handwritten complaint signed by around 15 of the passengers from the flight. The complaint highlighted several issues, including evacuation delays, poor communication from staff, and what was bemoaned as a “lethargic” response from a crew member wielding a fire extinguisher. This complaint also came after passengers criticised the post-incident handling, alleging that they were not provided with official complaint forms and told to either write their complaint on any available blank paper or email it later.
Moreover, the incident has prompted concern about lithium battery-powered devices and the safety protocols surrounding them. Because power banks are only permitted under strict conditions in cabin luggage and sternly barred from checked-in luggage, a number of questions surrounding screening protocol and onboard handling have been raised. A detailed investigation has been launched by officials to discover the root cause of the power bank’s ignition and whether safety protocols were adequately followed by staff.
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