WATCH: Panic on BJ Metro as Phone Catches Fire During Rush Hour
A scene of chaos erupted on the Beijing Metro during yesterday's morning rush hour as a portable cell phone battery caught fire inside a subway train filled to capacity with commuters.
The battery caught fire on a Line 1 subway heading westbound from Sihui Station to Dawang Lu Station before 9am on Jul 10. Eyewitnesses say panicked commuters attempted to move towards the end of the train as the subway interior began to fill with smoke.
Multiple Weibo micro-blog users admitted the incident made them "terrified" and "confused". One commuter who was "scared out of her mind" said she tried to run with the crowd even though she didn't know why.
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One uploaded video (see above) taken at the time of the incident shows a crowded subway car with shouts constantly ringing out, abruptly ending just as the subway doors open. A photo of the aftermath shows a floor covered with water along with the remnants of what appears to be a burnt-out electronic device (shown below).
The official Weibo account for the Beijing Metro said service resumed after a short delay. No injuries have been reported, but some commuters say they have lost or damaged items due to the scramble.
READ: Smoke Fills Passenger Interchange at Beijing South Railway Station
Although portable phone chargers have been involved in numerous fire incidents on the Beijing Metro for a number of years, they are not prohibited by subway security checks. On the contrary, subway commuters are banned from carrying over two liters of baijiu alcohol and five safety lighters when riding the subway.
Power banks are responsible for causing fires on the Beijing Metro in December 2015 (Line 10 at Sanyuanqiao Station), May 2015 (Line 9 Fengtai Dong Dajie Station), and August 2014 (Line 15 at Nanfaxin Station).
Although they were banned in 2014 by the Guangzhou Metro, a portable charger was responsible for causing a fire on one of its trains this past February.
This past February, an external battery pack stored in an overhead container caught fire on a China Southern Airlines flight before takeoff. With no fire extinguisher in sight, a video of the incident shows flight crew attempting to put out the fire by throwing glasses full of water at it.
The Beijing Metro has seen a number of incidents that have impacted its service lately. Last month saw malfunctions cause delays during morning rush hour service on three consecutive days while just yesterday a platform safety door was reported to have mysteriously opened with no subway in sight.
As Beijing's oldest subway, Line 1 was recently upgraded with a direct connection with the Batong Line.
Images: TakeFoto.cn, EastBuzz.com
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