Power Bank Explodes in Qantas Lounge; Staff Douse Fire in Shower

(MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA) A 50-year-old passenger caught fire after a power bank exploded in his trouser pocket at the Qantas International Business Lounge at Melbourne Airport on November 6, 2025, prompting an emergency evacuation of about 150 people and a rapid response from staff and fellow travelers. The incident happened at approximately 11:00 a.m., filling the lounge with acrid smoke and forcing a two-hour closure for cleaning and decontamination before the facility reopened.

The device, described as a lithium-powered power bank, underwent thermal runaway in the man’s pocket, igniting his jacket and sending smoke through the busy business lounge. Witnesses said the blast was sudden and loud, followed by screaming and the smell of burning material. One traveler recounted,

“I suddenly heard screaming from the other side of the lounge. Some guy’s phone had blown up in his pocket and sent the battery acid flying everywhere. His jacket caught on fire.”
Several passengers said they saw staff move quickly to clear the area as the smoke spread through the seating sections and dining area.

Lounge employees and a nearby passenger immediately pulled the injured man into a shower inside the facility to smother the flames, a move that stopped the thermal runaway and prevented the fire from spreading further. Paramedics from Ambulance Victoria arrived soon after and treated the man on site before taking him to the Alfred Hospital in stable condition. He was later discharged. According to responders, the man sustained significant burn injuries to his leg and fingers, consistent with a device igniting at close contact and the rapid heat that follows a lithium battery failure.

The intensity of the blast and the smoke prompted an immediate evacuation of approximately 150 people from the Qantas International Business Lounge. Staff ushered travelers out through the lounge entry and down to the main concourse while alarms sounded and the smell lingered in the air. Several passengers waiting for international departures were seen standing with carry-on bags near the lounge entrance as operations paused and cleaners and safety teams moved in. The airline said the business lounge remained closed for two hours to allow for cleaning and decontamination before reopening to customers.

Qantas confirmed the incident and the response in a statement, saying,

“The lounge was evacuated as a precaution and emergency services treated the customer on site. We worked with the Melbourne airport to clean the lounge and it has since reopened.”
The airline added that it is reviewing its policies for lithium battery devices and spare batteries on board, with an update expected in the coming weeks. The review comes amid wider industry debate about how to manage personal electronics, including power banks, that can fail and spark fires through thermal runaway.

Passengers inside the lounge when the explosion happened described a chaotic few minutes as people tried to work out what had gone wrong and where the danger was. Film producer Leanne Tonkes, who was in the lounge at the time, wrote on Instagram:

“When you have just witnessed a mobile phone battery catch fire in the Qantas lounge in Melbourne. Hoping the man who caught fire holding it is ok. Quick thinking from the man who jumped in to help and the staff who got him in the shower and everyone else out of the lounge.”
Her account echoed others who said the response from staff was fast and focused on getting people clear and cooling the flames as the smoke thickened.

Thermal runaway—a chain reaction inside a damaged or failing lithium battery—can drive temperatures high enough to ignite nearby materials in seconds. In this case, the power bank in the passenger’s trouser pocket became the ignition source, setting his jacket alight and sending smoke across the lounge. While investigators on site concentrated on first aid and cleanup, the visible effects were immediate: scorched fabric, splattered battery residue, and the sharp, chemical smell that forced an orderly but urgent evacuation. Travelers nearby said they saw a staff member move the man quickly toward the shower area as another guest helped, and then watched as alarms brought more personnel to the scene.

Ambulance Victoria paramedics treated the man before transporting him to the Alfred Hospital, one of Melbourne’s major trauma centers, where he arrived in stable condition and was later discharged. Fellow passengers said they were relieved to hear he was stable, noting that burns to the leg and fingers suggested the device failed at close range. The lounge reopened after two hours once cleaning teams completed decontamination and checks, and Qantas said normal service resumed for customers awaiting outbound flights later that afternoon.

Qantas’s policy review follows a series of moves across the aviation sector to reduce the risks from lithium battery devices. The airline said it will examine its approach to lithium devices and spare batteries on board, with a new update expected soon. Industry peers have adopted different stances: Emirates has already banned power banks aboard its planes, and Virgin Australia recently updated its policy asking passengers to keep them within arm’s reach. The Melbourne Airport incident sets those decisions against a real-world example of how quickly a small device can fail, and how vital it is to have clear steps for handling smoke, flames, and evacuation.

The witness description of “battery acid flying everywhere” captured the shock that spread through the lounge, although many passengers initially thought a phone had exploded rather than a power bank. While the exact brand and capacity of the device were not immediately available, the account of a sudden blast, fire in a jacket pocket, and fast-spreading smoke matched the pattern of a battery cell going into thermal runaway. Staff acted quickly to contain the flames by using the shower, an immediate cooling method that can limit both heat and smoke and make it possible to move an injured person safely into the care of paramedics.

For travelers, the scene at Melbourne Airport offered a stark reminder of how everyday items can pose a hazard when damaged, mishandled, or faulty. The man’s injuries—burns to his leg and fingers—point to how a power bank kept in clothing can become a source of serious harm if it overheats or fails. Passengers in the lounge said the smoke and smell were strong enough to prompt immediate evacuation procedures, and many praised the staff response as calm and decisive under pressure.

Qantas’s public confirmation and the clean-and-reopen timeline underscored the airline’s effort to restore normal operations while acknowledging the seriousness of a device fire in a crowded space.

“The lounge was evacuated as a precaution and emergency services treated the customer on site. We worked with the Melbourne airport to clean the lounge and it has since reopened,”
the spokesperson said, noting coordination with airport teams to get customers back inside after the two-hour closure. The airline did not provide additional details on the passenger’s itinerary or the make of the device but emphasized that safety protocols were followed.

The incident also sharpened attention on how other carriers are adjusting their rules as more travelers carry multiple devices and spare batteries. Emirates’ ban on power banks aboard aircraft and Virgin Australia’s request that passengers keep them within arm’s reach reflect attempts to reduce both the chance and the impact of a thermal event. Qantas’s own review will be watched closely by frequent flyers who use power banks to keep phones and laptops charged during long-haul flights that leave from hubs like Melbourne Airport and Sydney.

Authorities urge passengers to follow airline instructions for handling lithium devices and to be mindful of signs of overheating, swelling, or damage, especially when power banks are placed in pockets, bags, or seat areas where heat can build. Official guidance for air travelers on battery safety is available from the Australian government’s aviation regulator at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s lithium batteries page, which can be found here: Civil Aviation Safety Authority advice on lithium batteries.

Back at the Qantas International Business Lounge, travelers said operations looked normal by the afternoon, even as some passengers discussed the morning’s events and compared notes on what they saw and smelled. The two-hour closure allowed crews to ventilate the area and remove residue left behind by the exploding device. Staff members were seen speaking with customers as they returned, and several passengers said they were reassured by the quick response earlier in the day.

The man injured in the explosion was discharged from the Alfred Hospital after treatment, according to ambulance and hospital updates provided to passengers and later relayed by the airline. His condition was described as stable, with burns limited to his leg and fingers. On social media, Tonkes added her hope that he would recover and credited the helpers nearby.

“When you have just witnessed a mobile phone battery catch fire in the Qantas lounge in Melbourne. Hoping the man who caught fire holding it is ok. Quick thinking from the man who jumped in to help and the staff who got him in the shower and everyone else out of the lounge,”
she wrote.

In the coming weeks, Qantas is expected to finalize its review and publish any changes to how it manages lithium battery devices brought by passengers, including guidance on where and how to carry power banks. The Melbourne Airport incident, with its sudden blast, thick smoke, and a man rushed to a shower to stop the flames, has already become a case study in the risks of thermal runaway—and in how fast, practical action by staff and fellow travelers can make the difference between a frightening event and a much larger disaster.