'Do not charge phone overnight': Hospital warns after explosion injures couple and causes fire in Vietnam

A couple in Vietnam suffered severe burns after one of their mobile phones exploded on their bed, said Hung Vuong Phu Tho General Hospital on a Facebook post on Friday (Dec 29).

The tragedy took place on Thursday (Dec 28) when the couple fell asleep with a phone charging near their bed.

The device overheated and suddenly exploded, with sparks setting their blanket on fire and burning the couple, the hospital said on their post. 

The couple were immediately taken to the emergency department at Hung Vuong Phu Tho General Hospital, Phu Tho province, northwest of Hanoi.

The couple was said to have suffered burns on about 20 per cent of their body — including their faces, hands, thighs and legs.

The hospital said that the couple has been transferred to the hospital's ER and Orthopedic Trauma unit for treatment.

"The patients are stable now, but recovery will take a long time," a doctor at the hospital said.

Stressing that such mishaps can cause very serious injuries such as burns, the hospital warns members of public not to leave their phones charging overnight.

Is it safe to charge devices overnight?

In general, charging your devices overnight is not hazardous, provided the battery management system (BMS) of the battery is not inferior, faulty or tempered with, as can be the case of batteries from dubious origins, said Assistant Professor Christopher Lee from the department of electrical and electronic engineering at Nanyang Technological University, reported CNA.

"A trade-off should be made between safety concerns and charging urgency," Lee added.  

But according to Lee, one should not use their gadget while it is on charge as doing so may lead to a rising temperature inside the battery.

"A thermal management system in the BMS can manage the temperature in lithium-ion batteries, typically from 20 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius," added Lee.

Hence, using your phone while it's charging can raise your gadget's temperature beyond that range, become a fire hazard.

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ashwini.balan@asiaone.com