Hong Kong Airlines confirmed that flight HX115, en route from Hangzhou to Hong Kong on March 20, made an emergency landing in Fuzhou after a fire erupted in an overhead luggage compartment. The Airbus A320, carrying 160 passengers and 8 crew members, safely touched down at Fuzhou Changle International Airport, where the blaze—reportedly sparked by a charging device—was extinguished. No injuries were reported.
Dramatic footage shared online shows cabin crew and passengers dousing a smoldering backpack with bottled water, juice cartons, and even milk.
After landing, passengers evacuated via stairs and boarded shuttle buses under the watch of fire trucks stationed on the tarmac. The airline has arranged a replacement flight to ferry stranded travelers to Hong Kong, expected to depart Fuzhou by 8:55 PM local time.
In a statement, Hong Kong Airlines praised its crew’s “swift response” in managing both the emergency and passenger anxiety, adding that the incident underscored the “critical importance of compliance with safety protocols, including restrictions on loose lithium batteries in carry-ons.”
