Firefighters try to put out a fire on an Air Busan plane at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, Jan. 28, 2025. YONHAP NEWS AGENCY/REUTERS

Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries Tuesday when an airplane burst into flames at an airport in South Korea, authorities said Wednesday, with local media suggesting the blaze may have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, according to the country's transport ministry.

A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said.

Authorities initially reported three injuries but revised the number to seven on Wednesday. One of them remained hospitalized, the ministry added.

South Korea suffered the worst aviation disaster on its soil just last month, when a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, flying from Thailand to Muan on December 29 crash-landed and exploded into a fireball after slamming into a concrete barrier at the end of the runway.

That crash killed 179 of the 181 passengers and crew members on board. Investigators have found duck blood and feathers in both of the plane's engines, but have not yet conclusively determined what caused the crash.

"In the wake of the Jeju Air passenger aircraft tragedy, an additional aviation accident has taken place, and we feel deeply sorry for the passengers on board and the public," transport minister Park Sang-woo said in a statement Wednesday.

The Tuesday night accident left nearly half of the fuselage burnt but the plane's wings and engines remained undamaged, the ministry said, adding that the cause of the fire was under investigation.

"It is unclear when we will be able to disclose the investigation findings on the cause of last night's fire," the ministry spokesperson told AFP.

Dramatic images from local media on Tuesday night showed the aircraft engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing from the interior of the plane.

Images from Wednesday morning revealed that the upper half of the fuselage burned away, leaving a huge hole.

While the ministry did not comment on a possible cause of the fire, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that the blaze began to spread after black smoke emerged from an overhead compartment in the back row.

"It seems that a fire broke out when a passenger's portable battery, stored in the overhead bin as carry-on luggage, became compressed," local daily JoongAng Ilbo reported, citing an unnamed person affiliated with Air Busan.

"As the smoke filled the cabin, a passenger seated near the emergency exit opened the door, and the flight attendant opened the opposite one, allowing others to start evacuating," a passenger recounted to Yonhap, calling the incident "chaotic and terrifying."

Lithium-Ion batteries in consumer devices have become an increasing concern for aviation safety experts. FAA data showed that as of late last year, lithium battery fires on U.S. flights had risen 388% since 2015, occurring nearly twice a week, on average.


Firefighters work on an Air Busan plane that caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, Jan. 29, 2025. YONHAP NEWS AGENCY VIA REUTERS

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