EasyJet flight forced into emergency landing after passenger leaves phone charging in luggage

An EasyJet flight was forced into an emergency landing after a passenger left her phone charging in her luggage.

Despite the aircraft being bound for London Luton Airport, around 180 panicked flyers were diverted to Rome instead.

When cabin crew first warned there was "something we shouldn't have in the hold", passengers were engulfed in worry for the remainder of the journey.

No further details were handed out to the travellers until the flight from Hurghada, Egypt touched down on the Italian capital.

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It was later revealed a passenger's powerbank posed a fire hazard, which led to the emergency landing taking place.

Due to the diversion, passengers spent the night in hotels, with some even sleeping in the terminal.

The next flight from the European city to Luton was 2pm the next day.

Paul Casterton, 57, told The Sun: "No one knew what to think.

"Suddenly the plane changed direction and made a descent. It was hard not to fear the worst. It was stressful until we landed."

The construction worker added a "sense of relief" dawned on the passengers after the woman confessed to her charger being the reason why they had diverted.

However, he admitted the scenario was "quite an ordeal".

"Thank goodness it wasn’t a bomb in the hold," Mr Casterton, who was travelling with his partner, said.

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EasyJet said in a statement: "Flight EZY2618 from Hurghada to Luton on May 19 diverted to Rome Fiumicino as the crew were informed a power bank was charging in luggage"

The company confirmed the captain diverted "as a precaution in line with safety regulations".

A spokesman added: "Safety is our highest priority. We would like to apologise to all passengers for any inconvenience."

Due to the fire risk of specific batteries, more airlines are increasingly banning portable chargers as a safety measure.

South Korea, as a whole, has banned batteries on flights in its entirety.

Meanwhile, Thai Airways confirmed passengers would not be allowed to use them on flights.

On EasyJet flights, lithium battery-powered electronic devices, which include portable electronic devices, must have a Wh rating that does not exceed 160Wh.

The airline hands out automatic authorisation for lithium-ion batteries up to 160Wh and has a limit of 15 portable electronic devices per passenger.

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