Chinese flight diverted to Shanghai after lithium battery catches fire midair

A Chinese airline flight was forced to make an emergency diversion to Shanghai on Saturday after a lithium battery caught fire in the overhead compartment, sparking panic among passengers.

According to a statement from Air China, the incident occurred on flight CA139, which was en route from Hangzhou in eastern China to Incheon International Airport near Seoul, South Korea.

The airline said the fire started when a lithium battery inside a carry-on bag “ignited spontaneously” in the overhead bin. “The crew immediately handled the situation according to safety procedures, and no one was injured,” the statement added.

For safety reasons, the aircraft diverted to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, where it landed safely shortly after 11 AM local time.

Images shared on Chinese social media platform Weibo showed flames and smoke rising from one of the overhead compartments, as passengers looked on in alarm.

Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 confirmed that the plane departed Hangzhou at 9:47 AM before turning back toward Shanghai while flying over the East China Sea.