Travel

The passengers and crew of an EasyJet flight had to quickly leave their aircraft when a lithium fire broke out before the flight’s departure.
This incident took place on Tuesday, the 17th of September, involving EasyJet flight U2-8216, departing from Heraklion International Airport (LGIR) in Crete, Greece. The flight’s destination is London Gatwick Airport (EGKK). EasyJet performs this flight six times per week.
The incident aircraft. Photo: BOSSHEPOn the day of this lithium battery incident, the EasyJet flight reportedly had 236 passengers on board. According to local media, the passengers had boarded the flight when a handbag with two electronic devices started emitting smoke. These devices were a power bank and an e-cigarette.
The event reportedly led to a small explosion, powerful enough for nearby passengers to have to move away, eventually leaving the aircraft. However, at this time, it is not clear if the lithium fire caused an evacuation with slides or if the EasyJe..