Power bank causes smoke scare at NAIA T1, incident swiftly resolved

Insider sportlight:

• Smoke observed at Baggage Carousel 3, no injuries reported
• Power bank identified as cause; no fire or damage
• Operations continued without delay after brief cleanup

A minor smoke incident at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 was swiftly contained on Monday, May 12, according to New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC).

At around 4:55 p.m., smoke was observed rising from Baggage Carousel 3. Airport emergency personnel were immediately deployed to the scene. Passengers nearby were safely escorted away as a precaution while responders secured the area and activated ventilation procedures.

By 5:18 p.m., the source was confirmed to be a power bank that had likely fallen from a passenger’s bag into the carousel mechanism, causing a spark and minor smoke emission. No fire occurred, and airport systems remained functional.

Terminal operations resumed without disruption following a cleanup and successful carousel testing.

“We thank all responding teams and partner agencies for their swift action. The safety and well-being of passengers remain our top priority,” NNIC said in a statement.

— Edited by Daxim L. Lucas