KUALA LUMPUR: A photographer from the Bernama News Channel was burnt on his left thigh when a powerbank he kept in his bag suddenly burst into flames.

The 43-year-old victim, who only wanted to be known as Awie, said he was covering an event in Chow Kit when the incident occurred at 12.30pm, Thursday.

"I was sitting on a chair with my bag on my lap when suddenly, a woman screamed when she saw the bottom of my bag on fire," he told Bernama when contacted.

He sought treatment at a clinic in Taman Melawati for the injury to his left thigh.

"The powerbank was a gift I received while on assignment and I had just started using it yesterday. I had charged it to the maximum, but had not used it," he said.

He added that two pen drives in his bag were destroyed and that the bag itself had to be thrown away. – Bernama