A Powerbank, a device that charges smartphones caused a stir on a Singapore MRT carriage yesterday. Passengers who told the nightly Chinese daily that most people started to flee and did not know what was happening.

It all happened at 2pm on Sunday on the East West line heading towards Pasir Ris. Smoke were pouring out of the carriages as it passed by Tiong Bahru station.

The cause of the smoke is the one of the passenger’s powerbank caught fire. Some burn marks were left on the floor of the carriage.

This is the first case where a powerbank burnt out during charging (not connected to the AC adaptor). Could this be due to the cheap and poor quality OEM components used on such chargers?

Anyway, it is always good to buy recognised and branded chargers to prevent possible damage to your smartphone during charging.

Discuss