20-year-old Killed as His Mobile Phone Explodes, Chinese Media Reports

A 20-year-old boy was killed when his mobile phone exploded, Chinese media reported. Apparently a major artery in his neck was severed

The man, believed to be an employee at a computer shop in Guangzhou, China, died after inserting a new battery in his phone.

Health Hazards of Modern Gadgets & Gizmos
That modern gadgets have changed the world, is a gross understatement. Yet, rising from the din is an ever increasing evidence, braced by scientific work, of the ill-health effects of modern gadgets.

Local Chinese daily Shin Min Daily News reported that on January 30 at 7.30pm a shop employee heard a loud bang - and saw her colleague lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Police are investigating whether the phone was counterfeit. Both Nokia and Motorola have denied any link to those distributing the faulty batteries in China.

Alarmingly, local reports claimed the incident was the ninth recorded mobile phone explosion in China since 2002.

Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation
Health concerns of Ultra Violet Radiation in humans need to be clearly understood to protect oneself from prolonged exposures to solar radiation. Section explains effects of UV radiation on human body.

In June 2007 welder Xiao Jinpeng, 22, died from chest wounds when his own mobile exploded while at work at a mill.

A government inquiry said the phone's lithium battery had exploded due to heat from the mill.

E-waste Dumps Endangering Hundreds of Children
The slum at Nairobi, Kenya where 12-year-old Priscilla lives is nearby one of Africa's largest dumpsites.

Also in 2007 a South Korean man was found dead in a quarry with a burning mobile phone stuck to his chest. It was initially thought his phone had exploded, killing him.

However a co-worker later admitted to making the story up after he accidentally backed over the man in an excavator, pinning him to a rock and killing him.

Chinese media published advice for mobile phone users after the explosions, including:

Always use original batteries

- Never modify your phone

- Always use original battery chargers

- Do not expose your mobile phone to high temperatures, and avoid exposing it to direct sunlight

- Avoid long phone conversations

- Do not make or answer calls when the phone is charging

- Try to keep your phone in a bag instead of in a pocket

- Do not use damaged batteries

There have been reports of cell phone explosions occasionally in the media, but discounted as exaggerated or blatantly fabricated.

As in the case of a South Korean in 2007. What was widely reported as a case of accidental death due to an exploding cell phone battery turned out to be a cover-up. A co-worker who originally told police that he found the victim bleeding from the nose and lying dead, confessed to accidentally killing him while operating a large piece of heavy machinery.

"All this happened in a moment, and I was too afraid about the accident. So I lied that the battery exploded and killed Seo," the worker was quoted as saying.

Source-Medindia
GPL