Exploding Cell Phone Battery Killed SKorean Man
Pastor Dale Morgan
Exploding Cell Phone Battery Killed SKorean Man*
By KWANG-TAE KIM, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
(11-28) 07:20 PST SEOUL, South Korea (AP) --
An exploding cell phone battery is suspected by police in the death of a
South Korean worker Wednesday, though the phone's manufacturer said it
was highly unlikely.
The man, identified only by his family name Suh, was found dead at his
workplace in a quarry Wednesday morning and his mobile phone battery was
melted in his shirt pocket, a police official in Cheongwon told The
Associated Press.
"We presume that the cell phone battery exploded," the police official
said on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under
way.
Kim Hoon, a doctor who examined the body, agreed.
"He sustained an injury that is similar to a burn in the left chest and
his ribs and spine were broken," Yonhap news agency quoted Kim as
saying. "It is presumed that pressure caused by the explosion damaged
his heart and lungs, leading to his death."
Kim was not immediately available for comment.
Police said the phone was made by South Korea's LG Electronics Inc., the
world's fifth-biggest handset maker.
An LG official confirmed its product was involved in the accident but
said the company would not comment directly on the incident because the
cause was not confirmed. However, the official, who spoke on condition
of anonymity due to company policy, said such a fatal explosion would be
virtually impossible.