Exploding Cell Phone Battery Causes Another Death?
Another exploding cell phone battery is being blamed for a man's death, this time in South Korea, where a quarry worker was found dead at his place of work with a melted LG phone in his shirt pocket.
Kim Hoon, the doctor who examined the dead man's body, said that the man's ribs and spine were broken. According to Hoon's report, the explosion -- and resulting shrapnel -- damaged his heart and lungs, leading to his death.
LG, a South Korean company that manufactures phones in both Asia and the United States, hasn't said a word yet about which phone or battery model caused the explosion, but we're hoping they will let that information out soon in case recalls are necessary. It's entirely possible that the phone isn't at fault at all -- the worker was in a quarry, presumably chock-full of water and other minerals that could react with a cell phone battery. [In an update the AP posted after its initial story, scientists say that the injuries are too extreme to have been caused by a lone cell phone battery, but final results won't be known for 15 days).
That said, this death is very similar to another exploding-phone death we recently covered, in which a Chinese welder was killed when his battery exploded, broke through his ribcage, and sent phone and bone shrapnel into his heart.
We have covered a surprising number of cell phone-related deaths in the past year, though just how much a cell phone is actually involved in each case and how much has to do with pre-existing conditions or just plain human stupidity varies with each case. Here's a brief list of the most recent:
- Cell Phone Battery Explodes, Kills Chinese Worker: In this strikingly similar case, a Chinese man was found with a melted cell phone in his shirt pocket.
- Cell Phone Blamed for Train Death: Paying attention to your cell phone while crossing train tracks: not a good idea.
- Teen Struck by Train While Text Messaging: Once again, cell phones and trains do not mix.
- Kid Drowns in Lake After Trying to Rescue Sinking Cell Phone: Sometimes it's best to just let the cell phone go.
Gallery: LG Phones in the U.S.
From AOL News
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
davidclementz said 10:58AM on 1-29-2008
I had a new cellphone blow up in my house I had a 35000 dollor fire 8107368437
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beware said 6:34PM on 3-11-2008
Lithium batteries are being put everywhere. They are in the local utilities new meter message sending units at your homes.... A recall of explosing batteries from that is in process where we live.. They don't tell the public.... WATer affects lithium... Scary thought,, lithium batteries are in your water meter units,, if your asleep in the night and hear a bang,, go see if your water meter lid flew off............. SERIOUS.......
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Rick said 11:04AM on 3-19-2008
People think it's funny, but mobile phone radiation is killing the bee population. They won't think it's so funny when the lack of bees' pollination causes agriculture to fail, resulting in a world wide famine.
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carol said 6:11PM on 3-19-2008
I returned a cell phone to verizon because it got hot very fast when i used it, they told me there was nothing wrong with it, i insis ted they test it and they hooked it up to their equipment for one half hour, when I returned to get it they told me that my phone blew up and also blew up their equipment, they gave me a new phone minus all my phone numbers and pictures, I was very disatisfied with the way verizon treated me, they seemed to not want to hear about it, if not for my insistance, they would have just ignored me. This store was at the mall in Johnson City, Binghamton, NY.
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Barb Johnson said 4:16PM on 3-29-2008
Please don't let people who like to be destructive work at places which manufacture phones with batteries or manufacture batteries as this may be a form of terrorism.
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l3INDY said 12:16PM on 4-03-2008
More than likely there is a higher probability of Cancer of the Brain from constant cells to one ear. Use some caution put the speker phone setting on!
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Nathan said 9:43PM on 4-03-2008
This is just proof that we need to stop importing goods or having anything to do with China or Korea. Between the AquaDots and this you'd think we'd learn. We shouldn't even do business with a communist country anyways. Down with CHINA!!
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Janina said 10:04AM on 4-04-2008
Don't forget that when a cellphone is charging you shouldn't and make or take a call. Yes, sheer stupidity, but I did it once with a late evening call. I had a loud humming in my head for hours afterwards. Pretty funny, yes, and scary. I had the same reaction after staying on a cell for about an hour while driving. I later read that you should never use the phone in a small, enclosed place like a car. The radiation beams bounce off the windows and into your head!! And where do most folks use cellphones?? Right, in their cars!! Better to use them in open spaces or with the windows rolled down in the car. As far as using the phone while it's charging, I heard about someone being killed when he talked on the phone while it was charging and it exploded. Be careful. Use cell phones only if absolutely necesaary. I only use mine only if a landline is not available and, then, only if there is an urgency and I try to keep the call brief and complete the conversation up on the landline. Tell famiy/friends to call you on your home landline unless it's urgent. Cellphones should be handled with care and used infrequently and not as a standard phone or socializing toy.
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Tami said 11:49PM on 4-05-2008
I wish they'd blow up on idiots who can't drive witout one stuck to their ears.
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Kevin said 12:35PM on 11-29-2007
What ever happened to just getting brain cancer ? Now we have to worry about being BLOWN UP !
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Kent said 12:04PM on 11-29-2007
Lithium batteries have a history of explosions and recalls ... i.e. Sony batteries in Dell Computers burning or catching on fire. Need safer batteries with nickle based materials.
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Jay said 11:56AM on 11-29-2007
Can you Hear me NOW?
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Mai_Tai said 12:05PM on 11-29-2007
My husband's cellphone rings day and night with calls from his job. Yesterday, I said the phone would be the death of me. Maybe that wasn't so funny after all.
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Ray said 12:06PM on 11-29-2007
OMG, Jay....a Good One!
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michelle said 4:29PM on 12-03-2007
cell phones are not responsible for deaths. idiots using cell phones are!
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butterscot405702 said 1:03PM on 11-29-2007
Cell phones are a waste of time and energy. The only good thing that comes from them is that they keep the economy moving.
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Antney said 3:20PM on 4-15-2008
A waste of time and energy? You seem woefully under-educated when making a statement like that.
Bob said 2:13PM on 11-29-2007
Can they rig them to blow up when these crazy drivers are using them and running people off the road?
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Lynn said 2:24PM on 11-29-2007
It is about time that the risks associated with Cell Phones is getting some attention. Eight years ago my cell phone caught fire while it was up against my ear during a conversation. I immediately called AirTouch (now Verizon) in Irvine and they passed the buck to colleagues there and no one (or so they claimed) had ever heard of this sort of thing happening. Eight years have passed and I am sure many hundreds of these sorts of calls have since come into their organization. However, 'Big Brother' cannot admit that EMF's and High Tech can be deadly, otherwise there would be complete pandemonium around the world. Where is Al Gore on this issue... we are all living in a new Hot Zone!
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Go Figure! said 2:41PM on 11-29-2007
Seems like life's not so good with LG phone batteries. I hope they let people know soon which
batteries are defected and repaace them.
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