PUBLISHED ONAugust 06, 2024 8:46 AMByBhavya RawatA couple eagerly anticipating their getaway vacation in Bali ended up having their flight delayed, after a baggage scanner at their boarding gate caught fire.
On Tuesday (Aug 6), Canadian real estate developer Christopher Hanne, 30, and his girlfriend Montana Jayne, 29, were in line to board Scoot flight TR280, headed to Denpasar Airport in Bali, at gate D46 in Changi Airport Terminal 1.
Speaking to AsiaOne, Hanne said that at about 6.30am, he saw smoke coming from the baggage scanner, which then burst into flames a minute later.
Airport personnel arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire soon after, he said.
According to Hanne, passengers had to be cleared out of the area as the thick smoke, especially near the gate, was making breathing difficult.
"It was pretty unbearable and lots of people were coughing, trying to make it through. It was getting hard to breathe," he said.
It took about 30 to 40 minutes for the smoke to dissipate after the fire was put out, added Hanne.
According to a video posted on TikTok by Hanne's girlfriend, who is a content creator, the couple had been awake for about 24 hours and had a 10-hour layover in Singapore prior to the incident as they were flying from Japan to Bali.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@montanaandchris/video/7399795917190155526[/embed]
In the video, passengers walking away from the gate can be seen covering their mouths and noses as smoke filled the area.
When asked how those around him reacted to the fire, Hanne said that some passengers were frustrated at the situation, as it meant a delay, while some were frightened by the amount of smoke.
The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 7.10am, took off at 8.40am instead, according to the Changi Airport website.
Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was alerted to a fire at 80, Airport Boulevard on Tuesday at about 6.40am.
The fire involved an X-ray unit on the second floor of the building and had been extinguished by working staff in Changi Airport using fire extinguishers before SCDF's arrival.
A Changi Airport Group spokesperson told AsiaOne that the fire was the result of an electrical fault and no injuries were reported.
Passengers waiting to board their flight in the holding area were redirected to another gate and the flight subsequently took off at about 9am, the spokesperson added.
bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
