CHENNAI - India's Indigo Airlines said on Friday (Sept 23) smoke was seen coming from a Samsung Note 2 smartphone in a flight from Singapore to Chennai, and all passengers were "deplaned" as per normal procedure.

The phone was kept in the overhead cabin and apparently caught fire when the plane was about to land, the Times of India (TOI) reported. The plane landed normally, the report said.

"The crew noticed smoke from the bin and found the device was emitting smoke after possibly catching fire. They used fire extinguishers on it," a spokesman of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was quoted by TOI as saying.

"We advise flyers to exercise caution while flying with Samsung Note devices. They should either keep these devices switched off or not travel with them," said a DGCA spokesman.

An IndiGo statement quoted by TOI said: "IndiGo confirms that a few passengers travelling on 6E-054 flight from Singapore to Chennai noticed the smoke smell in the cabin this morning (Sept 23) and immediately alerted the cabin crew on board.

"The crew quickly identified minor smoke coming from the hat-rack of seat 23 C and simultaneously informed the pilot-in-command who further alerted the ATC of the situation on board."

It added: "Taking precautionary measure, the cabin crew on priority relocated all passengers on other seats, and further observed smoke being emitted from a Samsung note 2 which was placed in the baggage (of a passenger) in the overhead bin.

"The crew discharged the fire extinguisher which is as per the standard operating procedures prescribed by the aircraft manufacturer, and quickly transferred the Samsung note 2 into a container filled with water in lavatory."