A soldier in the Chundikulam Army Camp lost an eye in a mobile phone accident. The phone, which was plugged to a charger, exploded when the owner picked it up to answer a call.
The 19-year-old soldier was rushed to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, where battery parts were removed from both his eyes. Hospital sources say the soldier lost his vision in one eye as a result of a chemical reaction.
It is understood that the Army Camp uses solar power to generate electricity, and it is speculated that an electrical surge might have caused the mobile phone battery to explode.
“It is highly risky to use a mobile phone while it is plugged to a charger,” electronics expert Dr. E. C. Kulasekara told the Sunday Times. “People are warned to be very careful when handling electrically connected mobile devices.”
Any device, including laptops, that depends on rechargeable batteries should be handled with extreme caution, especially if the electronic products are imitation brands, There is always a safety risk with sub-standard mobile phones and chargers, said Dr. Kulasekara, who is attached to the Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering, University of Moratuwa. |
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