A 34-year-old man has sustained second-degree burns after the battery of his smartphone, a Samsung Note 4, exploded.
At 7am today, the man, surnamed Wong, picked his phone up when its morning alarm went off. Wong told Oriental Daily that the phone felt warm, and suddenly exploded a few seconds later, setting the left sleeve of his shirt on fire.
The 34-year-old quickly dropped the phone, took off his shirt, and used the garment to extinguish the flames. “Afterwards, I saw that the phone battery had expanded and was burnt black.”
Wong’s elbow burn. Screenshot: Oriental Daily
He was taken to North District Hospital to receive treatment for second-degree burns to his chest and left elbow.
Speaking to the Hong Kong Economic Times, Wong said he purchased the phone over a year ago, but replaced the battery a few months ago when it began losing capacity.
The replacement battery, which Wong bought in Kwai Chung Plaza, was reportedly marketed as an authentic Samsung product and came with a security hologram label.
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