‘It was pretty unbearable’: Smoke fills Changi Airport T1 departure area after X-ray machine catches fire
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An X-ray machine caught fire due to an electrical fault, said a Changi Airport Group spokesperson.
PHOTOS: SCREENGRAB FROM MONTANA & CHRIS/TIKTOK
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SINGAPORE – A flight to Bali was delayed for around two hours after an X-ray machine caught fire in Changi Airport Terminal 1 on Aug 6.
A video posted on TikTok shows thick black smoke billowing from the machine at Gate D46 as people watched from a distance. Details of Scoot Flight TR280 are 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 clothes.
Real estate developer Chris Hanne, who was travelling with his partner, said the incident happened at around 6.30am.
“People had to clear out of the area because it was getting really hard to breathe,” the 30-year-old said.
“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, he said.
Flightradar24, a flight-tracking site, showed that the flight subsequently took off at 9.15am.
A Changi Airport Group spokesperson said the small fire was caused by an electrical fault and was promptly extinguished by two airport employees.
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 affected customers were provided with refreshments.
She 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.
