Electrical Fault Causes X-Ray Machine to Catch Fire at Changi Airport, Delaying Departing Passengers
A small fire broke out at Changi Airport Terminal 1 on August 6, causing a delay of about two hours for departing passengers. The incident occurred at gate holdroom D46, where an X-ray machine suddenly emitted smoke and caught fire due to an electrical fault.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire started at around 6:30am, just as passengers were boarding Scoot flight TR280 bound for Denpasar, Bali. A video shared on TikTok showed the X-ray machine emitting fire and smoke, with passengers gathering to observe the scene.
“I was already boarding the plane when smoke was seen in the holdroom,” said the TikTok user @montanaandchris, who was on the flight. “We were subsequently evacuated and moved to a different departure gate.”
The user, who had a 10-hour layover in Changi Airport, added that the incident occurred just as they were about to depart for Bali. “I was a bit worried, but the airport staff handled the situation well,” they said.
A Changi Airport Group (CAG) spokesperson confirmed that the fire was caused by an electrical fault in the X-ray machine. “The fire was promptly put out by two airport staff, and passengers in the gate holdroom were redirected to another gate holdroom,” they said.
No passengers were injured in the incident, and the flight eventually took off at around 9am. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the incident at around 6:40am, but the fire was already extinguished by airport staff before they arrived at the scene.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing, and the CAG has assured that the safety of passengers and staff is their top priority. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of regular maintenance and checks on airport equipment to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
In a statement, the CAG spokesperson said, “We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our passengers and appreciate their understanding and cooperation during the incident. We will continue to work with the relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the fire and take necessary measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.”