Spirit flight to Jacksonville diverted due to battery fire
A Spirit Airlines flight flying from Dallas to Orlando had to divert to an airport in Jacksonville, Florida, due to a passenger’s electronic device battery catching fire in the overhead compartments in the cabin, airline representatives said.
Flight 259 landed safely Wednesday afternoon and was towed to the terminal, the airline said. Several people who experienced discomfort were transported to hospitals.
“There was a firefighter who reacted, crew personnel arrived and they tried to pour water on it. Someone else got a container and they put it out, but it was about 20 minutes,” passenger Kerri Arakawa told FirstCoast News.
→ Airport incidents a challenge for U.S. authorities
Jacksonville Fire Rescue authorities initially reported that one person had been taken to the hospital, but as time passed more people began to feel ill.
Fire Capt. Eric Proswimmer told the TV station that they ended up taking 10 people to the hospital.
“We thank our crew and passengers for their quick actions to ensure the safety of everyone on board, and we thank first responders for coming to the aircraft,” the airline said.
Spirit gave refunds and vouchers to passengers and arranged ground transportation to Orlando, AP reported.
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