Samsung Galaxy S4 Explosion Reportedly Causes Fire in Hong Kong

A man in Hong Kong lost his house due to a fire that he claimed was caused by his flaming Samsung Galaxy S4. According to a report published by a Chinese news Website Xianguo.com, the man, who is identified simply as Du, and his wife were able to flee the burning house but they were not able to save important things. Their Mercedes vehicle also incurred damages.

Du recalled that he was playing ‘Love Machine,’ a game app on his Samsung Galaxy S4, when he abruptly heard a loud pop coming from the device’s battery. In an instant, the smartphone exploded, making him accidentally throw it to a sofa, which turned out to be easily flammable. In a short while, the fire spread and incurred severe damages to the house.

Company investigation

Samsung Hong Kong immediately reacted by conducting its own probe into the incident. The company plans to analyze the chemicals present in the scene. Its goal is to find out if the device is to be fully blamed for the occurrence. It is looking if any of the chemicals identified in the site could have possibly come from the battery of the unit.

The investigators are looking at many possible angles that may have caused the incident. For one, they are suspecting that rogue parts or even a rogue repair could have been involved. In many cases, devices explode and cause serious damages to properties if they are improperly handled, compromised by an unauthorized repair, or are charged using counterfeit rechargers.

Earlier incidences

The Hong Kong incident was not the first time for a Samsung device to be blamed for onsets of fire. Earlier this month, an 18-year old woman in Switzerland incurred third degree burns on one of her legs following an explosion of her Samsung Galaxy S3 in her pocket. According to investigators, the woman was using a heavily discounted replacement battery when the occurrence happened.

Last year, a man from Dublin reported that his Galaxy S3 had exploded while on his vehicle’s dashboard. Luckily, he was not hurt from the incident. Freak phone accidents also happen with other brands. Last month, a Chinese woman was killed after an electrocution that happened when she answered her iPhone while she was charging it in her home. It was later found that the victim was not using a real iPhone charger when the electrical shock happened.