Terrifying moment power bank explodes on plane – sending flames and smoke through cabin and sparking mid-air passenger panic on AirAsia flight in Thailand

This is the terrifying moment a power bank exploded on an AirAsia flight mid-air, sending passengers into panic.

The plane was flying from Bangkok to Nakhon Si Thammarat, in the south of the country, when flames and smoke were seen 30 minutes later.

Shocked cabin crew rushed to the center row of the Airbus A320 to extinguish the flames, while nervous customers looked on.

Those on board rushed from their seats and ran en masse to the other side of the plane, some of them with their children in their arms.

As fumes filled the cabin, passengers frantically moved their belongings away from the flames. Others rushed to fetch bottled water to try to put out the fire.

Were you on the flight? Email: Tips@dailymail.co.uk

The flight attendants took fire extinguishers and extinguished the fire.

Sayan Srimai, who recorded the video, said: “The entire plane was in a state of chaos.

“We had been sitting for about 30 minutes when suddenly a fire broke out and smoke rose in the center of the plane, in row 15.

‘The passengers were very shocked. The crew were excellent and it only took them two minutes to put out the fire.’

The eruption left one of the leather seats burned and charred and the plane landed on time. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Technicians climbed into the vehicle to check the damage and found black burn marks on the seat.

They told passengers that a power bank had been kept in the seat bag but exploded during the flight.

Airlines only allow portable batteries to be carried in carry-on luggage, not checked luggage, due to the risk of lithium-ion batteries overheating and causing fires in the cargo hold.

Passenger Sayan said: ‘The passenger who owned the power bank was with a large group, about seven or eight people. When it happened, he got up very quickly and was not hurt.

Earlier this week, a plane made an emergency landing in Hong Kong when a power bank exploded, filling the cabin with smoke.

Royal Air Philippines was flying from the island of Boracay in the Philippines to Shanghai in China when the electronic device exploded in the air on Monday night.

Firefighters and paramedics were waiting and boarded the plane to conduct safety checks. There were no injuries.

Airbus has been contacted for comment.