Passenger Injured After Gadget ignitesโ in Qantas lounge
Melbourne, Australia – November 8,โ 2025 – A 50-year-old man sustained burns after a device โขin his pocket ignited, causing a fire in a Qantas businessโ loungeโข at Melbourne Airport on Thursday. Approximately 150 passengers were evacuated as a precaution, and the lounge remained closed for nearly two hours.
Theโฃ incident occurred while theโ manโค was โwaitingโข for his departure. Witnesses reported hearing screams before discovering his jacket was on fire. Emergency services treatedโฃ the man forโข burns to his fingersโข and one leg before transporting him toโ a local hospital.
Qantas has confirmed the incident “involved a customer’s power bank” containing a lithiumโ battery.โค The airline is currently reviewing its policies โregarding devices with lithium batteries.
Authorities noteโค lithium batteries can pose a โฃsafety risk on airplanes if damaged โฃor overheated, leading to a ban on carrying them โin checked baggage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported more than 50 lithium battery-related incidents on US flights this year.
“His jacket caught โขfire. They evacuated us because the smoke wasโ so strong. Hope the guy is โokay,” one traveler told reporters.
A Qantas spokesperson stated to 7News, “The lounge was evacuated as a precaution and the emergency services took care of the customer.”