Passengers are said to have helped put out the flames before the aircraft landed safely, and no injuries have been reported.
An IndiGo flight from New Delhi to Chennai made an emergency landing in Hyderabad on Sunday after smoke was detected from a passenger’s electronic device. Flight 6E 6115 was diverted to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, where it landed safely. Reports say a power bank in an overhead locker caught fire, and passengers are said to have tackled the blaze before the cabin crew used onboard extinguishers. The airline arranged another aircraft to take passengers on to Chennai.
What happened on board
The incident took place on Sunday 11 October 2026. The pilots diverted the aircraft after smoke was reported from a personal electronic device.
Reports indicate the device was inside a bag in the overhead cabin compartment. Videos circulating online appear to show passengers trying to smother the flames with bags before crew members used fire extinguishers.
IndiGo confirmed that smoke came from a personal electronic device but did not initially say which device it was or what caused it. The identification of a power bank comes from other reports.
Passengers assisted
No injuries were reported. IndiGo said it arranged an alternative aircraft to carry passengers to Chennai and was providing assistance, refreshments and updates after the disruption.
A second recent incident
It is not the first power bank fire involving the airline this year. In May 2026, a power bank caught fire aboard an IndiGo aircraft after it had landed at Chandigarh Airport. Passengers were evacuated, and reports said one suffered an ankle injury during the evacuation. That fire occurred while the plane was taxiing, rather than in the air.
Why power banks pose a risk
Power banks generally contain lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries. If a battery develops an internal fault or is damaged, it can undergo thermal runaway, a chain reaction that causes rapid heating and can lead to fire, smoke or an explosion. A fire in an aircraft cabin is particularly dangerous because smoke can spread quickly and crew have little space in which to respond.
