A woman was allegedly died after she was electrocuted by her iPhone. The woman, a Chinese flight attendant, received a massive electric shock when she went to answer her iPhone 5 as it was charging.
Ma Ailun, 23, a flight attendant for China Southern Airlines, picked up the Apple smartphone in her Xinjiang home on Thursday as it was on the charger and the device reportedly sent a current through her body which was strong enough to kill her, the South China Morning Post reports.
The woman was rushed to a hospital, but doctors couldn't revive her. The woman's brother, Yuelun, believes that the iPhone was the cause of death, as he told Apple Daily. He has turned over the killer smartphone and its accessories over to police, who are looking into the incident.
Apple is also looking into the incident. "We will fully investigate and cooperate with authorities in this matter," Apple's Beijing-based spokeswoman Carolyn Wu, told the South China Morning Post. The company offered condolences to the family.
Local police confirmed that Ailun was electrocuted, but they're trying to determine if the iPhone was actually involved or if the electrocution was due to a problem with the home's wiring.
Johnny Sin Kin-on, professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, confirmed that any electrical device comes with a risk of shock if used while it is charging.
"There is a risk using an electrical device while its installed battery is being charged, be it a shaver or a phone," he told the SCMP.
The iPhone has had some issues with batteries overheating and even going up inflames, but these incidents have not resulted in serious injuries or fatalities. It is still too early to determine if the coveted Apple device is actually a weapon.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
