The evacuation was initiated after a passenger informed the cabin crew about smoke and a possible fire in his power bank, reportedly caused by an internal malfunction. By the time the alert was raised, the flight — carrying 198 passengers along with six crew members — had already landed safely.
An IndiGo flight had to be evacuated on Tuesday after smoke was noticed inside the cabin shortly after it landed at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh. The situation turned tense when a passenger informed the crew that his power bank had caught fire, likely due to an internal fault. As a precaution, the crew initiated an emergency evacuation, deploying slides to safely get all passengers off the aircraft.
One passenger sustained minor injuries during the evacuation that followed. The flight, which had departed from Hyderabad with 198 passengers and six crew members on board, landed in Chandigarh at around 3:40 pm.
Soon after touchdown, while the aircraft was taxiing towards the bay, the cabin crew was alerted about the fire. The crew responded immediately and managed to put out the flames, but by then, smoke had already spread inside the cabin, creating a tense situation for those on board.
Passengers were safely evacuated using emergency slides
As a safety measure, emergency procedures were immediately put into action. The crew opened the exits and began evacuating passengers using inflatable slides. During the process, a woman reportedly suffered an ankle injury. A fire tender from the Indian Air Force (IAF) was also dispatched to the spot, but by the time it arrived, the situation was already under control.
IndiGo later confirmed the incident in an official statement, saying that the issue occurred on May 5, 2026, after flight 6E 108 from Hyderabad to Chandigarh had landed and was stationary. According to the airline, a passenger’s personal electronic device had caught fire inside the cabin.
The airline further stated that all passengers were safely escorted to the terminal following the evacuation, where staff members were present to assist and ensure everyone’s well-being.
IndiGo also mentioned that the aircraft would undergo detailed inspection before being cleared for further operations. Meanwhile, sources from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) indicated that the fire may have started from a power bank kept in a pouch inside the seat pocket.
The cabin crew acted quickly, using fire extinguishers to bring the flames under control. They also deployed all six emergency slides to carry out the evacuation smoothly and prevent any further risk to passengers.