Exploding Motorola Cell Phone Kills Chinese Man

A 22-year-old welder in China was killed after his Motorola cell phone exploded in the man's chest pocket. Motorola officials are working with Chinese authorities to figure out what caused the explosion. The phone reportedly was exposed to high temperatures before it blew up.

Officials from Motorola (NYSE: MOT) are working with authorities in China to determine what caused a cell phone explosion that killed a 22-year-old Chinese man.
Xiao Jinpeng, a welder at the Yingpan Iron Ore Dressing Plant in Jinta county in western China's Gansu province, was killed on June 19 when the battery in his cell phone exploded, according to an Associated Press report from Xinhua, China's state news agency.
The Motorola cell phone was in Xiao's chest pocket, and had reportedly been exposed to high temperatures before it exploded, Xinhua said. Rib fragments pierced Xiao's heart following the explosion. After emergency treatment failed, Xiao reportedly died at a local hospital.
Invsetigation underway :
While there have been several reports of injuries in the past, this appears to be the first fatality resulting from a cell phone battery explosion.
It has not yet been determined whether the battery was an original Motorola battery or not, according to reports.
"Motorola's priority is, and always has been, the safety of our customers, and all Motorola products are designed, manufactured and tested to meet or exceed international and local standards for consumer safety and performance," Motorola spokesperson Jennifer Erickson told TechNewsWorld.
"At this time, preliminary evidence suggests that it is highly unlikely that a cell phone caused this accident; however, we are cooperating with the Chinese authorities to determine and investigate the root cause," Erickson added. "Of course, our thoughts and prayers are with the individual's family and friends," she said.
The Statistical View
"I don't want to sound unsympathetic to this poor individual, but the safety statistics are pretty amazing," Bill Hughes, principal analyst with In-Stat, told TechNewsWorld.
Indeed, with nearly 3 billion cell phone subscribers worldwide, one fatality -- tragic is it may be -- is still very small, statistically speaking, Chris Hazelton, senior analyst for mobile device technology and trends at IDC Research, agreed.