M’sian Severely Burnt After Charging Phone Exploded on His Chest When He Was Sleeping

A while back, I shared that my mother, like any other middle-aged woman, finds joy in forwarding messages from unknown sources. Such messages usually talk about how you should avoid consuming or doing something, to prevent future health issues and so on.

The frequency of such unnecessarily long messages is exceptionally bad during the holidays, and (sorry if you’re reading this, mummy) I ever considered removing her from the family group chat last year.

I feel bad deleting the messages so sometimes I would skim through them. On days I’m feeling extra nice, I would watch the video attached as well. Before going on a delete spree.

Anywho, she once warned my brother and me of the dangers which came with leaving our phones to charge overnight.

From what I vaguely remember, the poor guy’s bed caught fire – something along this line.

Clearly, that was not like the usual false news she would share on WhatsApp because similar accidents have made headlines.

Young man severely injured after phone exploded

According to AsiaOne, a Malaysian man sustained acute burns and was admitted to the hospital on 15 June 2019.

The cause of his injury?

The mobile phone which he left to charge on his chest. Alas, the phone most likely overheated and exploded while he was asleep that unfaithful afternoon.

Unfortunately, the exact cause of the explosion still remains a mystery. Probable speculations from similar accidents in the past include defective phone batteries and third-party phone accessories i.e. chargers and cables.

Zaobao added that the 21-year-old has a habit of leaving his phone to charge while he took naps…which is our habit, too.

Unfortunately, he was exceptionally exhausted on the day of the accident. As a result, he slept soundly and was oblivion to the fact that his phone was unusually hot.

The aftermath

After the explosion, the young man called for his family, who then sent him to Sarawak General Hospital in an ambulance.

The 21-year-old was conscious upon reaching the hospital and was said to have sustained burns on 20 per cent of his body – including his chest, neck and right hand. Needless to say, a significant amount of his mattress was badly burnt too.

Four red flags to warn against potential mobile phone explosions

Evidently, mobile phone explosions are real.

Here are four warning signs to look out for, courtesy of Zaobao:

Overheated phone
There are a few ways this situation may occur. Phones may be unusually hot due to over-charging and using the device while charging. This is a normal scenario but not one to be overlooked. Other instances include feeling hot to the touch while using and talking on the phone. When this happens, it’s recommended to let the device cool down before using it again.

Faulty battery
If your phone can’t be charged, and the charger works fine, it’s a clear sign to get your battery changed. Send it for repair immediately if it shuts down abruptly. But anyways, if your phone can’t be charged, you should be panicking like a siao man liao because who else is going to update your Instagram?!

Tendency to restart automatically
When a phone is constantly restarted, a large amount of battery is consumed. As a result, the device tends to overheat. Similarly to the previous point, it is recommended to send the phone for repair asap.

Phone automatically restarts after a message is sent
Following the successful transmission of a message, the phone beeps and restarts itself. Users should be alert if this goes on for awhile and the phone beeps twice before the centre of the screen turns dark green and spreads outward to black.

In a nutshell? If your phone is acting weird, send it for repair before it burns you.