Incidents of mobile phone explosions are on the rise, some of them so severe that they've claimed lives or caused serious injuries. In a recent incident, an Apple iPhone 6 exploded and caught fire in a moving car, leaving its owner in fright.
The incident took place on August 1 in China and the entire ordeal was captured on the car's dash-cam. The gold iPhone 6, which is placed on the dashboard, is clearly seen in the video as it bursts and moments later catches fire.
The owner of the iPhone 6, identified as Jiang by EEC Media, was driving with her husband on a motorway when the incident unfolded. Luckily, the iPhone was not in use when it exploded and no one was injured. But the woman is heard screaming in fear as the incident took place.
In prior cases, mobile phone explosions were triggered while charging, but the iPhone 6 was left unattended when it caught fire. Upon inspection, the local media reported that the battery of the iPhone was replaced at a local repair shop in February, which was later found out to be a counterfeit.
Apple or any manufacturer strictly advises on using original mobile parts during repair. This is a clear example that using counterfeits can have dangerous consequences.
Several incidents of mobile phone explosions have been reported in recent past. In April, a 12-year-old boy died after a mobile phone exploded. The teen was reportedly playing games on the phone while it was being charged.
Another incident occurred in March, where an 18-year-old teen lost her life after a mobile phone exploded as a result of talking on the phone while it was being charged. In separate incidents, two people died from a mobile phone explosion in July and the CEO of Cradle Fund succumbed to death after one of his smartphones exploded and caught fire in June.
It is not always that a mobile phone has exploded while using it during charging, but it is an ill practice nevertheless.
Even though the latest incident involving an iPhone is caused due to a counterfeit battery, Apple was in heavily criticised for slowing down older iPhones. But the iPhone maker started a battery replacement programme for affected iPhone owners.
Watch the video of the incident below:
