Retiro Tuga

It’s being reported that a man has died after putting a new battery in his phone. After the initial charging, he put the phone in his pocket and shortly thereafter it exploded, killing him. This is the ninth such explosion reported since 2002. The Chinese daily Shin Min Daily News reports the accident occurred on January 30 at 7:30pm local time at what may have been a Lenovo shop. A nearby employee heard a loud bang, looked over and saw her co-worker lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

While the make and model of cell phone is not yet known or not being reported, police are currently investigating whether or not the phone and/or battery were counterfeit. Authorities have issued warning tips that cell phones and batteries should not be tampered with or replaced with counterfeit parts. In 2007, a 22-yr old welder died from chest wounds when his mobile phone exploded while working at an iron mill. Authorities concluded in that case that the battery had been exposed to sparks and high heat in the iron mill.