A United Airlines flight was forced to delay its Tuesday morning takeoff after a lithium-ion battery fire broke out in the cabin of the cross-country flight, authorities shared.
The flight was scheduled to take off from San Diego International Airport and was headed to Newark Liberty International Airport, according to officials, NBC San Diego reported.
A fire broke out in the cabin, resulting in seven people being injured, according to the San Diego Fire Department.
The department shared that four of the people who reported suffering injuries were taken to the UC San Diego trauma facility.
Fire officials also shared that the other three, two of whom were passengers, refused to seek medical attention at the hospital despite being advised to by first responders.
Those on the flight who were hospitalized were treated with smoke inhalation, UC San Diego Health shared in a statement.
The airline shared in a statement that all, or nearly all, of those who were hospitalized with injuries, were members of the flight crew that wored to address the fire. The employees were hospitalized as a precaution, United shared.
The fire was caused by a battery pack belonging to a customer, according to the airline and the fire department.
United sait it’s crew members “acted quickly to contain the device.”
“We thank our crew for their quick actions in prioritizing the safety of everyone on board the aircraft,” United said.
The fire department shared that the crew members’ heroics using a fire bag and other tools to keep the flames at bay prevented the fire from spreading to the plane.
The situation is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
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