Hyderabad: There was panic among passengers on board an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai after a passenger’s power bank – kept in the overhead luggage compartment – caught fire.
The flight, identified as 6E 6115, was subsequently diverted to Hyderabad.
Amidst the panic, a cabin crew used a fire extinguisher to douse the flame. A video of the incident has now appeared on social media.
The video shows passengers trying to put the fire out using their bags at first. However, the angle was too vague to figure out who eventually put it out.
“IndiGo flight 6E 6115, operating from Delhi to Chennai on October 11, 2026, was diverted to Hyderabad after smoke was detected from a customer’s personal electronic device. The cabin crew responded promptly, and the situation was brought under control. An alternate aircraft has been arranged to continue the journey to Chennai,” the airline said in a statement, as reported by WION.
According to its website, IndiGo’s baggage policy states that power banks and spare/loose lithium batteries are allowed only in hand baggage. The policy adds that items “must remain within the passenger’s personal reach at all times, like under the seat, in the seat pocket, or carried on one’s person.” It adds that they “must not be stowed in overhead compartments or checked baggage”.
The video footage captured the fire breaking out in the overhead compartment in this particular case.
Under IndiGo’s policy, passengers are permitted to carry up to two spare lithium-ion batteries, including power banks, with a capacity of up to 100 watt-hours (Wh), provided they clear security checks at the airport. A standard 100 Wh battery translates to roughly 27,000 milliampere-hours (mAh), though it remains unclear what capacity the power bank involved in this incident had; most consumer-grade devices typically range between 10,000 and 20,000 mAh.
Batteries exceeding 100 Wh but not surpassing 160 Wh are also permitted, capped at two units, but only when intended for use with portable medical devices, and carrying them requires prior approval from IndiGo at check-in.
Power banks must be stored either in their original retail packaging or in separate plastic bags, with their terminals taped and insulated to guard against short circuits. They are also barred from being recharged or used to charge other devices during the flight. These rules apply uniformly across both domestic and international routes.
