Fire trucks are seen in this unrelated photo. (Mainichi)
TOKYO (Kyodo) — All train services on the Yamanote loop line in central Tokyo were briefly suspended Sunday afternoon after a fire, likely caused by a power bank in a passenger’s bag, left that passenger and four others with minor injuries, police said.
Police quoted the passenger, a woman in her 30s, as saying that “the battery became hot when charging my smartphone, and (the phone) caught fire in around 30 seconds,” burning her bag. The incident disrupted train traffic in the Japanese capital, affecting around 98,000 people, JR East said.
The fire broke out around 4:10 p.m. on a train traveling between Shin-Okubo and Shinjuku stations. All services on the busy loop line were suspended but resumed by around 6:10 p.m.
In addition to the woman, who suffered a burn on her finger, four others in their 20s to 50s were injured while trying to evacuate the train.
Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in power banks, can ignite upon physical impact or due to gradual degradation, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Incidents involving such batteries catching fire tend to increase between June and August, when temperatures are higher, according to the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation.
The ministry bans travelers from placing mobile batteries in checked baggage on flights. Starting this month, it is also urging passengers to keep power banks within reach during flights, following a series of incidents involving mobile batteries catching fire onboard.
AloJapan.com