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| Photo by Ashim D’Silva |
An exploding lithium-ion camera battery caused a panic at the Orlando International Airport on Friday, resulting in 24 flight cancellations as well as temporary chaos as a terminal was evacuated. Witnesses say the exploding battery made a sound similar to a gunshot, prompting people to flee the area.
Though frightening, the situation proved mostly harmless as officials discovered the source of the sound: a camera battery that had exploded inside of a traveler’s bag, which began smoking as a result. Orlando Police have since posted tweets advising the public that no shots were fired in the airport, but instead that “a lithium battery in a camera exploded in a bag … the bag was smoldering.” No one was hurt in the incident.
UPDATE: Again, NO shots were fired at MCO. A lithium battery in a camera exploded in a bag; that was the noise people heard. The bag was smoldering; no one hurt. Thank you for helping us get the word out.
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) November 10, 2017
The incident follows a recent recommendation by the FAA that airlines ban passengers from checking devices with lithium-ion batteries in bags due to their volatility and the fire risk they pose, instead suggesting they pack them in their carry-on luggage.
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