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Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
Fire on Virgin Australia flight: Blaze erupts mid-air on Sydney–Hobart route likely caused by power bank; airlines to review battery policies
A suspected fire triggered by a power bank in carry-on luggage forced emergency response aboard a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Hobart on Monday, prompting the airline to review its lithium battery policies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The incident occurred during descent on Flight VA1528, when smoke and flames were seen emanating from an overhead locker. Battery fire on Virgin flight from Sydney | Sunrise Cabin crew swiftly extinguished the fire before the aircraft landed safely. Upon arrival, firefighters removed the affected bag from the compartment. No injuries to passengers or the flight crew was reported according to Virgin Australia, who issued a statement, quoted by The Guardian saying, 'The safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority, and we commend our cabin crew for their quick action in containing the event. We would also like to thank the emergency services teams who met the aircraft upon arrival.' Matt Cocker, the Chief Operating Officer of Hobart Airport, stated that all passengers safely disembarked the aircraft and one person was assessed by paramedics for suspected smoke inhalation. The airline is now investigating the cause of the fire in coordination with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa). Virgin Australia indicated that the incident may lead to changes in its battery safety protocols. Currently, lithium-ion batteries, including power banks and spare batteries, are restricted to carry-on baggage. Casa has long advised passengers about the risks associated with lithium-powered devices, which can overheat, short-circuit, or ignite. Casa warns that 'lithium battery fires can be difficult to extinguish' and says that typical Australian travellers now carry at least four rechargeable battery-powered devices. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The agency has also clarified that while items like laptops or cameras may be stored in checked luggage if completely powered off, loose batteries and power banks must remain in cabin bags. According to Casa, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recorded a 92 per cent increase in lithium battery-related incidents between 2020 and 2022. The Hobart incident follows a January fire aboard an Air Busan Airbus in South Korea, which led to the full evacuation of 176 passengers and crew. Investigators attributed that fire, which destroyed the aircraft, to a malfunctioning power bank. In response to growing concerns, several airlines, including Singapore Airlines, have introduced stricter rules. Singapore Airlines now bans power bank usage entirely during flights. Meanwhile, Virgin Australia said that it will 'review its policies regarding the carriage of lithium battery-powered devices' to ensure enhanced safety for all travellers.
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Axed Love Islander Andrada reveals villa feud is worse than fans see on TV after furious row with Meg
AXED Love Island star Andrada revealed a villa feud is worse than what fans see on TV. Irish bombshell Andrada, 27, 4 Andrada and Meg clashed in the villa Credit: Eroteme 4 OG Islander Meg arrived on the first day Credit: Eroteme 4 Ben and Andrada were axed together after being voted 'least compatible' Credit: Eroteme The couple recently appeared on podcast Love Island: The Morning After. During the episode, Andrada opened up about joining the Islanders She addressed the villa girls' pre-existing groups of Helena & Meg, as well as Shakira , Toni & Yasmin. Asked whether the Casa girls became their own group, Andrada shared: "You were able to join the other groups. Read more on Love Island "You know, [Shakira and Toni] did even say like, "Thank God you came in because [you all] are a great addition to the team. "Everyone was just so lovely - they were very, very welcoming." It comes as Andrada Dejon grew close to Andrada in , calling her "babygirl" and saying she was the "best bombshell" they'd had. Most read in Love Island When they returned to the villa Dejon admitted he was still "open" and wanted to carry on getting to know her. But after Love Island's Ben admits he's had a 'reality check' after fans branded him 'vile' Speaking in her exit interview, Andrada said: "Dejon is a very smart and calculated guy who knows how and when to use his words. "We would have a flirty conversation wherein he'd ask me a question, I'd answer it, then I'd return the same question but he wouldn't answer because it would make him look bad. "When we got back into the main Villa, he was still open but then Meg got on his back and was upset. Then he shut it off. "I don't think that he shut it off because he wanted to, he did it because Meg told him so. "I definitely feel like things would have been very different if she wasn't there." Love Island 2025 full lineup : A 30-year-old footballer with charm to spare. : A 22-year-old Manchester-based model, ready to turn heads. : A payroll specialist from Southampton, looking for someone tall and stylish. : International business graduate with brains and ambition. : A gym enthusiast with a big heart. : A Londoner with celebrity connections, aiming to find someone funny or Northern. : A personal trainer and semi-pro footballer, following in his footballer father's footsteps. : A towering 6'5' personal trainer. : A 25-year-old Irish rugby pro. : Love Island's first bombshell revealed as sexy Las Vegas pool party waitress. : The 24-year-old bombshell hails from London and works as a commercial banking executive. : Pro footballer and model entering Love Island 2025 as a bombshell. Giorgio Russo : The 30-year-old will be spending his summer in the sun, potentially his sister Alessia's successful tournament at the Euros in Switzerland. : Professional DJ from Manchester who appeared on X Factor 2016 in girl group Four of Diamonds. : Miss Bikini Ireland 2019 winner who hails from Dublin and works as a nail technician and personal trainer. Emma Munro: Harry Cooksley's ex who entered as a bombshell and works as a hydrogeologist. Departures : : Axed after an arrest over a machete attack emerged. He was released with no further action taken and denies any wrongdoing. : A model and motivational speaker who has overcome adversity after suffering life-changing burns in an accident. : A boxer with striking model looks, seeking love in the villa. : A teaching assistant from Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, who entered Love Island 2025 as a bombshell . : Works as a scaffolder day-to-day and plays semi-pro football on the side. Poppy Harrison: The bombshell broke up with her boyfriend after finding out she would be in the villa Will Means : The fourth fittest farmer in the UK according to Farmers' Weekly in 2023 entered the villa as a bombshell : An Irish actress part of the OG line-up. : 23-year-old personal banker from Glasgow who fancies herself as a 'good flirt'. : 27-year-old gym hunk who entered the show as a bombshell . Andrada and Ben were sent packing after the public voted them the least compatible couple. Speaking about her future with Ben, she said: "We want to see where things go because we get along very well. "There's nothing I can fault about the guy. He's a gentleman and treats me like a princess." Love Island airs on ITV2 and ITVX. 4 Andrada and Ben later appeared on Aftersun Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Could my power bank start a fire on board a plane? Here are the rules and the risks
Virgin Australia says it is considering changes to its rules around lithium batteries after a fire on a flight from Sydney was thought to have been caused by a power bank in a passenger's carry-on luggage. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa) has said the average passenger travels with at least four rechargeable lithium battery devices, which can be contained in smartphones, laptops and portable power banks. If you're wondering what the rules are, and why lithium-ion batteries are considered a risk on flights, here's a quick overview. Yes. But rules vary, so you should check the airline's restrictions before you fly. Generally, laptops and cameras can be packed in checked luggage as long as they are completely switched off, according to Casa. But spare batteries and power banks should only go into carry-on baggage because batteries and power banks can short circuit, overheat and catch fire during a flight. Lithium-ion batteries that exceed 160Wh are not permitted at all, unless they are used for mobility aids. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Smart bags with power banks or lithium-ion batteries are allowed as long as the battery can be removed before check-in and carried in a passenger's cabin baggage. Virgin Australia says any spare or loose batteries, including power banks, must be in carry-on baggage only and must be protected by placing them in their original retail packaging, or placing each battery in a separate plastic bag or protective pouch, or taping over exposed terminals. Qantas says passengers travelling with power banks, including Apple AirPod cases, and spare or loose batteries, must only take them in carry-on baggage. The airline says it does not recommend the use or charging of power banks onboard due to safety. Several international airlines have banned the use of power banks on board, including Thai Airways, South Korean Airlines, EVA Air, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Singapore Airlines and its budget subsidiary, Scoot. If you're flying with an international carrier, you should check its rules before your flight. Generally, passengers are required to pack their power banks in their carry-on luggage. But whether they can be used on the plane depends on the specific airline. Not necessarily. Prof Neeraj Sharma, a battery expert at the University of New South Wales, says lithium-ion batteries can have 20 different components, some of which are liquids, making them more volatile than other, solid parts such as the electrodes or casing. Applying pressure to a lithium-ion battery can lead to 'thermal runaway' – an uncontrollable increase in temperature – but a battery exploding is incredibly rare. Sharma says airlines still instruct people to carry batteries in their hand luggage as a way to mitigate risk, because there is a minimal pressure difference in a plane cabin compared to the baggage hold. Sharma says power banks and other lithium-ion battery devices that aren't as well regulated as mobile phones or laptops – such as e-scooters and vapes – pose more of a risk and may have lower quality batteries. Prof Amanda Ellis, the head of the University of Melbourne's School of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, says lithium battery fires aren't more likely on planes. She says airline cabin pressure wouldn't get to the batteries because they are covered by 'multiple layers of casing' but any enclosed environment makes fires particularly dangerous, especially as a plane can't be evacuated mid-air. 'They give off a very toxic gas and in a confined space that's not ideal,' she says. Ellis says lithium-ion battery fires are difficult to extinguish because often the lithium metal catches on fire, along with all the casing and the plastic – high energy materials that can burn for much longer. 'You wouldn't want to put water on a lithium fire. And that's the first thing people [on a plane] might think of doing.' The batteries contain lithium ions suspended in an electrolyte solution. The ions flow through the electrolyte, travelling back and forth between two electrodes as the battery charges and discharges. Ellis says a common cause is from people overcharging their batteries, so they overheat, which results in thermal runaway. If there's too much energy in the battery, it can crack, causing the highly flammable electrolyte inside it to burst into flames when exposed to air. She says phones and other, more sophisticated lithium battery-powered devices have an internal 'trickle system' which slowly adds current into the battery to prevent overcharging. But cheaper power banks typically don't have this safeguard, Ellis says, making them more of a risk. 'Never charge your power bank overnight,' she says. 'Never charge it more than it has to be charged. In a way you've got to watch the power bank for when the light goes from red to green, and unplug it.' Ellis says that, overall, batteries are very safe if used appropriately and in the right conditions, and people shouldn't be worried about flying because of them.
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
US court allows Trump administration to remove deportation protections for Cameroonians, Afghans
A federal judge on Monday lifted an order preventing the Trump administration from stripping temporary protected status (TPS) for thousands of Cameroonians and Afghans in the US. The Trump administration moved in April to end TPS for Afghans and Cameroonians in the US, saying conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer merited the protected status. The move affected an estimated 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians. Immigration advocacy organisation Casa filed a lawsuit against the department of homeland security and the US Court of Appeals for the fourth circuit granted an administrative stay on the termination until July 21. In Monday's ruling, the appeals panel agreed with a lower court that Casa has stated 'a plausible claim for relief with regard to the alleged 'preordained'' decision to terminate TPS. 'At this procedural posture, however, there is insufficient evidence to warrant the extraordinary remedy of a postponement of agency action pending appeal,' the panel wrote. The department of homeland security, which oversees the TPS programme, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Fire in overhead locker on Virgin Australia flight believed to be caused by lithium battery in power bank
A fire that broke out on a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Hobart is believed to have been caused by a power bank in a passenger's carry-on luggage, prompting the airline to consider changes to its battery policy. The Virgin flight VA1528 was making its descent into Hobart on Monday when the fire started in an overhead locker, a spokesperson for the airline said. Video taken on board, reported by the online news outlet Tasmanian Pulse, showed a flight attendant using a fire extinguisher on a smoking bag as passengers attempted to assist with their water bottles. The Virgin spokesperson said cabin crew extinguished the fire before the plane landed and firefighters on the ground removed a bag from the locker. 'Safety is always our highest priority,' they said. 'We appreciate the swift and professional response of our flight and cabin crew, as well as the support of Airservices Australia firefighters.' No flight crew or passengers were injured. Hobart Airport chief operating officer Matt Cocker said all passengers safely disembarked the aircraft, with one person assessed by paramedics for suspected smoke inhalation. Virgin is investigating the incident with regulators the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa). Spare lithium batteries including power banks are typically only permitted to be brought on planes in carry-on baggage because of the fire risk. Virgin has said the investigation could result in other changes to its battery policy 'to ensure the safety of our guests and team members'. The average Australian passenger travels with at least 4 rechargeable lithium battery devices, Casa has said. The agency previously issued a warning about flying with battery-powered devices urging passengers to pack them safely. Battery-powered devices such as laptops and cameras can be placed in checked luggage, as long as they are completely switched off, but spare batteries and power banks should always be placed in carry-on baggage only, Casa said. The agency said batteries and power banks could short circuit, overheat and catch fire during a flight and that lithium-ion battery fires could be very difficult to extinguish. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) saw a 92% increase in reported incidents involving lithium-ion batteries in 2022 compared to 2020, Casa said. In January, all 169 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated from an Air Busan Airbus on the tarmac in South Korea after it caught on fire before taking off. Investigators reportedly believed the fire, which destroyed the plane, was caused by faulty power bank. Several airlines have tightened their rules for flying with lithium batteries because of the risk of fires including Singapore Airlines, which has banned passengers from using power banks during flights.
