Travelers were forced to evacuate after a man caught fire in an airport business lounge in Australia when the power bank in his pocket caught fire.
The incident, which left the man with minor burns, occurred Thursday in the Qantas business lounge at busy Melbourne International Airport, the airport confirmed to NBC News.
The airport confirmed that firefighters responded to the accident, and the terminal was evacuated as a precaution.
Passengers reported panic as smoke appeared.
In a Reddit postOne passenger said they “heard screaming from the other side of the terminal” and that the device exploding sent “battery acid flying everywhere.”
The traveler added: “His jacket caught fire. They evacuated us because the smoke and smell was very strong, but I really hope the man is okay.”
Local media reported that the man, who is in his fifties, was in stable condition in the hospital, after suffering burns to his leg and fingers.
Qantas did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
Australian director Leanne Tonks, who was in the theater at the time, posted about the incident on social media.
“I hope the guy who caught fire holding it is okay,” she wrote in it. Instagram share.
She added: “Quick thinking from the man who jumped in to help, the staff who got him out in the shower and everyone else outside the lounge.”
According to Transportation Security Administration (TSA)Power banks containing a lithium-ion battery should be packed in carry-on bags. Spare lithium batteries, including power banks, are not allowed in checked baggage.
Many of the world’s largest airlines, including Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, ban the use of power banks on their flights.
In October 2025, an Air China plane made an emergency landing in Shanghai after a lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on luggage caught fire.