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HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s aviation regulator has banned passengers from using power banks to charge electronic devices or recharge them during flights starting April 7, South China Morning Post reported.

Power banks are also prohibited from being stowed in overhead compartments but can still be placed under seats or in seat-back pouches.

The Civil Aviation Department announced the stricter rules after expressing concern over recent safety incidents involving lithium power banks on aircraft.

Last week, a Hong Kong Airlines flight from Hangzhou diverted to Fuzhou due to a fire suspected to have been caused by a power bank in an overhead compartment.

In January, an Air Busan plane bound for Hong Kong caught fire before take-off in South Korea, forcing 176 passengers to evacuate and destroying half of the aircraft’s fuselage.