Dangerous accidents when smartphones, laptops, power banks… explode
Although not occurring frequently, the explosion of mobile devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, or power banks can happen at any time. These electronic devices are often placed close to the user or held in hand for use (in the case of smartphones and tablets), so if they explode, it can cause serious consequences.
For example, a recent case in Hai Duong province, where a 13-year-old boy was seriously injured when his laptop exploded while studying. The explosion caused the victim to suffer brain injuries, with his head, face, neck, and upper chest covered in wounds from the shards of the laptop.
A 13-year-old boy from Hai Duong is being treated in the emergency room after a laptop explosion (Photo: C.T).
It is reported that when the explosion occurred, the boy was using the laptop while it was plugged in.
In fact, this is not the first case of a laptop exploding and causing injury to users in Vietnam. Previously, in October 2020, a similar incident occurred in Ha Tinh province, where three students were injured when a laptop unexpectedly exploded while they were studying, with one student’s hand being severely crushed by the explosion.
A male student in Ha Tinh with a crushed hand after a laptop explosion (Photo: DT).
Similarly, other electronic devices that use lithium-ion batteries, which are equipped in most mobile devices today, such as smartphones, tablets, power banks, also have the risk of exploding while in use.
In reality, there have been many cases of exploding smartphones or tablets resulting in serious accidents and even deaths.
For example, in October 2021, a smartphone that was being charged suddenly exploded, causing the death of a 5th-grade student in Nghe An province.
On June 15, 2020, another fatal accident occurred in Hoa Binh province, resulting in the death of a 27-year-old man named Q.V.A. His family found him dead in the living room, with his chest burnt due to a phone explosion.
The scene of the fatal accident that caused the victim’s death in Hoa Binh on June 15, 2020 (Photo: CACC).
Authorities later determined that the cause of Q.V.A’s death was due to using the phone while charging, and the device exploded unexpectedly, resulting in the death of the 27-year-old man.
In early October 2019, a similar incident occurred in Dam Rong district, Lam Dong province, when local residents discovered the body of an 18-year-old boy named Pham The T. lying next to an exploded iPhone. It was determined that the young man was using the phone while charging, and the phone exploded unexpectedly, causing severe injuries and death.
Why can laptops, smartphones, tablets… explode?
Compared to smartphones, laptop explosions are less common, but when they do occur, the destructive power is much greater due to laptops having larger battery capacities than smartphones.
There are many reasons why laptops can explode, but the main reason is usually due to battery malfunctions. In some rare cases, the malfunctions may originate from the manufacturer.
A MacBook Pro laptop version from 2015 that was recalled by Apple due to battery-related fire and explosion risks (Photo: Reddit).
For example, in June 2019, Apple had to recall a series of MacBook Pro laptops sold between September 2015 and February 2017 due to overheating battery issues that posed fire and explosion risks. During this time, numerous airlines banned passengers from bringing MacBook Pro 2015 models on their flights to avoid the risk of fire and jeopardizing flight safety.
Only when Apple decided to replace the faulty batteries for free on the affected MacBook Pro 2015 models did the airlines lift their ban on these laptops.
So why do modern mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, power banks, and laptops all have the risk of exploding? The answer lies in the lithium-ion battery technology used in these devices. Specifically, lithium is a highly flammable substance and can ignite and explode when exposed to air, especially water.
If a battery is used for a long time and experiences degradation or any issues during usage, such as a dropped or cracked smartphone, it can damage the battery casing, causing the internal components to evaporate, come into contact with air, and potentially ignite.
Another common reason that can lead to a battery catching fire or exploding is high temperature. If the device’s temperature rises significantly during charging or continuous use, it can trigger a chemical chain reaction within the battery, resulting in the battery catching fire or exploding.
Compared to smartphones, laptop users often have the habit of using their laptops while continuously charging them, which can cause the battery to degrade faster due to higher temperatures. In the case of a deteriorated and swollen laptop battery, the risk of fire and explosion when using the device is very high, posing dangerous accidents.
Don’t let your mobile devices become bombs in your home
In general, incidents of electric shock or battery fire and explosion while using mobile devices are relatively rare, but they can occur at any time and often have serious consequences.
Therefore, to prevent accidents and ensure your safety, you should avoid using smartphones and tablets while they are charging. If your laptop’s battery is swelling or experiencing issues like being unable to charge or unable to use battery power anymore, you should immediately replace the battery or have it removed by a reputable electronics store and switch to using the device solely from a power source.
If the battery on your mobile device is swollen or degraded, you should proactively bring the device to trusted electronic stores to check and promptly replace the battery to avoid the risk of fire or explosion during use or charging. Users must use genuine and traceable batteries to ensure quality.
According to Dan Tri News
