Shenzhen-based power bank manufacturer ROMOSS has announced an urgent recall of approximately 490,000 portable chargers due to potential fire hazards, following an incident where one of its devices was linked to an in-flight fire on a Hong Kong Airlines aircraft.

On June 16, ROMOSS issued an emergency recall notice for three specific models of 20,000mAh power banks manufactured between June 5, 2023, and July 31, 2024. The affected models include PAC20-272, PAC20-392, and PLT20A-152, with a total of 491,745 units being recalled.

According to the company's statement, the recall was prompted by safety concerns related to battery cell materials that could cause overheating in rare cases and potentially lead to combustion under extreme conditions.

All three recalled models have a capacity of 20,000mAh, making them popular choices for travelers and commuters.

The recall follows an investigation by France's Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) into a mid-air fire incident aboard Hong Kong Airlines flight HX115 on March 20, 2025.

The investigation confirmed that the fire was caused by thermal runaway in a ROMOSS lithium-ion battery with a rated capacity of 20,000mAh.

The Airbus A320 aircraft, which departed from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport at 12.56pm bound for Hong Kong, was forced to make an emergency landing at Fuzhou Changle International Airport at approximately 1.56pm after a fire erupted in an overhead luggage compartment. Quick-thinking passengers and cabin crew managed to extinguish the flames using water bottles and other available liquids before the situation could escalate.

Video footage of the incident showed smoke filling the cabin as passengers and flight attendants worked together to douse the flames. No injuries were reported among the 168 passengers and crew on board.

Prior to the official recall, reports had emerged of warnings being circulated at Beijing universities regarding ROMOSS power banks.

Students claimed to have received notices from school administrators, citing alerts from authorities that 20,000mAh ROMOSS power banks were more prone to explosion during charging compared to other brands.

On June 14, ROMOSS responded to these reports, stating that it would "bear full responsibility in accordance with the law for any ROMOSS product that is found to be defective by an authoritative organization".

The company also mentioned it had reached out to the Beijing Municipal Education Commission but had not received any official risk notification from them at that time.

ROMOSS has established a recall procedure for affected customers, offering either a replacement with a new power bank of equal or higher value that meets safety requirements or a full refund.

Consumers can check if their power banks are affected by visiting the company's official website or calling their customer service hotline.

(Marco Lam)

ROMOSS recalls over 490,000 power banks following Hong Kong Airlines mid-flight fire