Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing Fort Myers After Battery Fire

Delta Air Lines Flight 1334, a Boeing 757-200 carrying 185 passengers and six crew members from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, made an emergency landing at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers after a passenger's personal battery caught fire mid-flight. Flight attendants quickly extinguished the fire, but lingering smoke prompted the pilot to declare an emergency and divert the flight as a precaution. No injuries were reported, and the aircraft landed safely. The FAA has launched an investigation, noting a significant rise in lithium battery fires on U.S. flights in recent years and emphasizing the risks associated with rechargeable batteries, particularly the thermal runaway effect. Delta praised its crew for their swift actions and is assisting passengers to reach their final destination. The flight continued to Fort Lauderdale later the same day after the aircraft was evaluated.