Phone left charging overnight explodes, burning woman

Our mobile phones have become an essential part of our lives. For some, it’s the last thing they see before they go to sleep, and the first thing they see as they wake up. But one woman in Malaysia almost didn’t wake up after she bid her phone “goodnight”. What happened to her reminds us how important remembering mobile phone safety precautions are.

On Sunday 23 September, 24-year-old Malaysian woman Nur Filzah Abdul Rahman had had left her smartphone charging on the mattress as she slept. According to Nur, who is also a bank clerk, she charges her phone past midnight and “will usually leave it on the floor before falling asleep.” 

However, during the night of the incident, the charging phone slipped her mind and remained on the mattress.

According to the Harian Metro, at roughly 4.20 am, the phone apparently exploded. As a result, the mattress caught on fire, while 24-year-old also experienced serious burn injuries on her arm. 

Initially, she recounts that she sensed “piercing hot pain” and shrugged it off as a dream. It was only when she grabbed her phone that she “felt burning pain and flung it off the bed”.

By that time, her room had already been engulfed with smoke. Thankfully, she and her friend managed to extinguish the flames with a pail of water.

The introduction of smartphones has changed life for many. | Image Source: Stock Photos

Unlike the past, mobile phones have suddenly entered our lives and made it impossible for us to live without them. They just make life that much more convenient. Phones let us accomplish a variety of tasks – from contacting friends and family, to using apps that allow us to basically do everything we need to do – all with just one touch. 

However, cell phones are machines which are vulnerable to overworking or overheating, too. As the incident above has shown, overheating phones can have very serious consequences. Here are some important tips for the whole family to remember!

• overcharging your phone or charging it overnight, as it can cause your phone’s battery to decline. Furthermore, overcharging risks overheating, which can lead to potentially injurious or life-threatening explosions and fires.
• buying cheap or second-hand smartphones. Cheap phones are made with materials of poorer quality, and may heat up or explode simply from use or from charging. Second-hand phones are no different – what if they’ve been damaged before?
• cheap, unbranded chargers, as they usually don’t have the safety mechanism to protect from fluctuations in power and over-charging. 
• keeping your phone’s casing on while charging. Normally, when the battery heats up, the heat should dissipate over time. However, your phone’s casing can contain the heat instead, which lead it to overheat. 
• continuously using fast chargers for prolonged periods of time. Speed chargers often have a higher voltage, meaning that the phone’s battery receives a higher voltage, leading it abruptly heat up. 

• it’s ok if your phone isn’t fully charged. Charging it to 80%, unplugging and resuming the charging when the battery falls to 20% is a viable option. Constantly charging your phone battery – or using it up fully at one go – may shorten its lifespan.
• using power banks to charge your phones is a good option, too. Power banks aren’t constantly supplying electricity and are safer. Also, remember to not use your mobile when it’s charging through the power bank. 
• Always pick a normal charger if it’s provided for your phone. 
• to flip the phone screen side down, placing it on a soft cloth below so that the screen is protected while it’s charging. 
• to keep your phone unplugged before you sleep.
• phones that are too hot can be turned off to let it cool down before plugging it back in.

References: asiaone.com

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