A 22-year-old Chinese man, Xiao Jinpeng, was killed when the battery in his Motorola cell phone exploded. The death happened on June 19, and Motorola isworking with Chinese authorities to determine what caused the explosion. According to reports, the phone was in Xiao’s chest pocket, and had been exposed to high temperatures before theexplosion. Xiao died when rib fragments pierced his heart. This isn’t the first explosion caused by an exploding cell phone battery. Several injuries have been reported in the past, butthis appears to be the first fatality. To date, it’s not known whether the faulty battery was a Motorola original or a replacement. “At this time, preliminary evidencesuggests 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,” JenniferErickson, spokesperson for Motorola, told Technewsworld. “Of course, our thoughts and prayers are with the individual’s family and friends.” According to analysts, it’s unlikely that Motorola was at fault in any way, and that the battery was likely an aftermarket accessory from another manufacturer. However, Chineseauthorities have advised people to use phones minimally and use batteries from reputable manufacturers. Xiao worked as a welder and the fatal accident happened at work. Authorities haveclassed the death as a corporate safety issue and ordered the iron mill where Xiao worked to pay his family 100,000 yuan ($13,159).
