Smoke fills T1 departure area as X-ray machine catches fire
A flight to Bali was delayed for around two hours after an X-ray machine caught fire at Changi Airport Terminal 1 on Aug 6.
A video posted to TikTok on Aug 6 shows thick black smoke billowing from the machine in Gate D46, as people stood watching from a distance. Scoot’s TR280 flight is displayed on a nearby screen. The flight is bound for Bali and scheduled to take off at 7.10am.
The video, posted by user Montana & Chris, later shows smoke filling part of the departure hall as passengers cover their noses with their clothing.
Real estate developer Chris Hanne, who was travelling with his partner, told The Straits Times that the incident happened at around 6.30am.
“People had to clear out of the area because it was getting really hard to breathe,” said the 30-year-old. “The smoke travelled at least 75m in both directions of the terminal.”
He added: “It was pretty unbearable and lots of people were coughing, trying to make it through the smoke.”
The area was cleared of smoke around 30 minutes later, said Mr Hanne.
Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 showed that the flight subsequently took off at 9.15am.
The “small fire” was caused by an electrical fault and was promptly extinguished by two airport employees, said a Changi Airport Group spokesperson.
Affected passengers were redirected to another holding area for boarding, said the spokesperson, adding that no one was injured due to the fire.
A Scoot spokesperson said that affected customers were provided with refreshments.
The spokesperson added that the Scoot team will continue to provide assistance to affected customers, where necessary.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
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