KARACHI: In the first reported case of its kind in Pakistan, a faulty mobile phone battery exploded and burnt a young woman, who was admitted to the Burns Centre of the Civil Hospital Karachi for treatment, officials said on Friday.

“We have admitted a woman in her early twenties for being burnt in an explosion in her phone battery,” said Dr Ehmer-Al-Ibran, assistant professor at the Burns Centre, while talking to Dawn.

“This is the first case of its kind. We have never heard of such a case in Pakistan before.”

Officials said the woman, a resident of Manzoor Colony, was listening to music on her mobile phone on Thursday when she felt vibration in the device before it ‘exploded’.

“I have checked her mobile phone and seen its deformed battery, which had almost melted like a used chewing gum,” said Dr Al-Ibran.

The young woman told the officials that instantly after the explosion her clothes caught fire.

She received burn injuries on her parasternal region; however, doctors said her body received four per cent burns and she was perfectly safe.

“Such incidents forewarn us of the hazards that could come our way if we do not care about the phone safety,” said Dr Al-Ibran.

He advised the public to keep checking their batteries, especially when expired and do not use a phone when the battery was being charged or had almost drained.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2014