A POWER bank that reportedly exceeded airline safety limits exploded at the Roxas Airport on Tuesday morning, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
The incident occurred at 6:36 a.m. at the Initial Security Screening Checkpoint (ISSCP), after airport security flagged a 72,000 milliampere-hour (mAh) power bank in the luggage of a female passenger bound for Manila.
The device exceeded the 160 watt-hour maximum capacity allowed on commercial flights.
The passenger initially claimed the power bank was cleared on her inbound flight from Manila, but later agreed to surrender it to a companion outside the terminal. While the handover was being arranged, the power bank suddenly sparked and caught fire on the inspection table.
An airport guard quickly used a fire extinguisher, but the power bank exploded moments later.
No one was hurt and no major damage was reported, CAAP said.
The agency thanked airport security and screening staff for their swift response and reminded the public to strictly follow airline safety rules, especially regarding lithium-ion devices like power banks.
