A passenger plane has been forced to make an emergency landing after a portable mobile phone charger exploded mid-air.

The incident happened shortly after the flight took off from the Jorge Newbery Airfield, which serves the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, on Sunday afternoon (19th December).

The flight was destined for the town of Esquel in Argentine Patagonia, but it was forced to make an emergency landing at Ezeiza International Airport in the Greater Buenos Aires region.

After the portable battery caught fire on board Aerolineas Argentinas flight AR 1666, staff tried to put out the flames with the onboard fire extinguisher.

However, according to reports, the flames were not extinguished, and so the staff resorted to placing the burning charger in a bucket of ice, which put out the fire but also filled the cabin with smoke.

The incident caused widespread panic on board, and the Boeing 737-800 was diverted and forced to make an emergency landing, with firemen and airport security officers coming to assist.

The passenger who owned the portable charger had to receive medical treatment for burns to one of his hands, according to local media.

After the situation was brought fully under control and the aircraft was given the all-clear, the crew and passengers were able to resume their journey to Esquel around an hour and a half later.

It is not clear what caused the portable charger to catch fire, but some media outlets said the change in pressure caused the explosion.