A 50-year-old man caught fire at Melbourne International Airport after a lithium power bank exploded in his pocket at 11am local time on Thursday, leaving him with significant burns on his leg and fingers.
The explosion of the overheated power bank also created smoke in the Qantas business class lounge where he was sitting.
The staff helped him into a shower before he was treated by paramedics. He was then taken to the hospital for further assessment. 150 had been evacuated from the lounge as a precaution
According to the Age newspaper, a witness said they saw "battery acid flying everywhere".
After a couple of hours, the lounge was reopened after getting cleaned.
The Australian airline, Qantas, said that it is in the process of reviewing its policies on lithium battery devices.
Film producer Leanne Tonkes who was in the lounge during the explosion, shared an image of the burnt device on the floor. She praised the staff in the airport for their assistance.
"Quick thinking from the man who jumped in to help and the staff who got him in the shower and everyone else out of the lounge", she wrote on Instagram.
Although usually airlines allow power banks in the cabin, they are increasingly banning their use onboard.
According to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission witnessed a 92 per cent increase in incidents involving lithium batteries.
Emirates has banned power banks on its planes. Virgin Australia has mandated that such devices should be kept within arm's reach after a power bank caught fire in the cabin.
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