Samsung Galaxy S4 Explodes, Burns House Down

A couple in Hong Kong have faced injuries after their Samsung Galaxy S4 allegedly exploded and burnt their house down.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Explosion Causes Major Damage

Chinese website Xianguo.com reported early this week of a Chinese national Mr. Hu facing the wrath of his Galaxy S4. Hu was playing a game – “Love Machine” while charging the phone. As he sat on his sofa at his home, the phone suddenly exploded. In a reflex response, Hu instinctively threw the Galaxy S4 onto his couch.

The couch then caught fire, which spread to the curtains and other parts of the house, setting it ablaze. Hu, along with his wife and dogs was able to get to safety, receiving minor injuries in the process.

Hu maintains that he was using a genuine Galaxy S4 with a legitimate charger, and no prior battery issues.

Almost all the furniture and content of the house has been burnt down. The fire eventually spread to Hu’s car as well – a Mercedes. The fire department reports ‘no suspicious circumstances’ on the events.

Samsung Hong Kong has announced that it will do a chemical analysis of the remains of the house to conclude if it was really the Galaxy S4 that was at fault. The company has reportedly told Xianguo.com that it will “carry out detailed investigations and tests to determine the cause of the incident.”

Fake Chargers to Blame?

The incident is another in a rising trend of freak smartphone accidents across the world, especially in China. Only last month, a Galaxy S3 in Dublin caught fire while the owner was driving his car. Only last month, Apple’s iPhone was involved in 2 freak accidents. On July 11, a flight attendant in China Southern Airlines was electrocuted when she picked up a call while her iPhone was charging. Reports suggest she may have been using a fake charger.

Within a week, another 30-year old iPhone owner was shocked while charging his iPhone 4 with a fake charger. He remains in coma as of now. Most of these accidents can be traced back to some issue with the charging. China has a booming market for fake chargers, which are ultimately costing bodily harm with their defective workmanship.

Apple on its part has warned Chinese customers to stick to only official chargers for charging iOS devices, claiming they undergo “stringent safety and reliability testing, and [are] designed to meet government safety standards around the world.”