Battery fire aboard Air China flight to South Korea forces emergency landing

An Air China flight from Hangzhou to Seoul was forced to make an emergency landing in Shanghai on Saturday after a lithium battery caught fire in the plane's cabin, Report informs via the South China Morning Post.

In a statement on social media, Air China confirmed the incident.

"On October 18, on flight CA139 from Hangzhou to Incheon, a lithium battery in a passenger's carry-on luggage stored in the overhead compartment spontaneously ignited," the airline said.

The crew handled the situation quickly and no one was injured, it added.

"To ensure flight safety", the plane had to "make an unscheduled landing" at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Air China indicated the flight took off on Saturday at 9:47 am and had been scheduled to land at Incheon International Airport at 12:20 pm.

A video clip circulating online, purportedly filmed by a passenger, showed travelers and crew trying to put out flames visible in an overhead compartment.

Passengers in the clip were heard shouting "hurry up" in Korean.

News portal Shanghai Observer cited a passenger as saying that a loud bang sounded before flames emanated from the overhead bin.

The incident is the latest in Asia to involve a lithium battery, a product that has drawn scrutiny for safety risks.