A Matsushita-made Nokia battery blew up on a pregnant woman yesterday in Kolkata, India, leaving her traumatised and with superficial injuries, according to a report in today’s India Times.
The BL-D3 battery – a different version from the BL-5C series that Nokia recalled earlier this month and was also manufactured by Matsushita – was set on charge in the woman’s home and 10 minutes later exploded, breaking to pieces the battery, the mobile phone and the plastic chair it was resting on.
“There was a huge bang and a ball of fire. Splinters hit my face. I stood paralysed for a moment and then ran out,” said Kishori Saha, the five-months-pregnant victim.
Neighbours and the home’s landlord rushed to her aid.
“The cellphone was lying in pieces. A chunk of the chair’s plastic had been blown away by the impact of the explosion. All that was left of the battery was carbon dust and parched paper. It was a big explosion. Had Kishori been a couple of feet closer, she would have suffered severe burns,” the landlord told the newspaper.
Kishori’s husband is considering taking legal action against Nokia. A Nokia official told the India Times that they would compensate the victim if the handset, the battery and the charger were all found to be original.
