Woman dies of electrocution after using smartphone that was being charged

By Lulu Chang Published April 20, 2016

wireless emergency alert augmentation smartphone user — Tatsiana Yuralaits/123RF

A smartphone has been ruled the culprit in the tragic death of a woman in Malaysia. Suhana Mohamad, a 30-year-old resident of the Cheras suburb of Kuala Lumpur, was speaking on her mobile device while it was plugged into a wall socket and charging. According to Kosmo, a Malaysian news site, the mother of two was then electrocuted by the smartphone. More devastating still, the tragedy occurred on her birthday.

There’s no word yet as to what sort of smartphone she was using or what type of charger was in play, but this is the first time in Malaysia that a charging cell phone has been determined to be a cause of death. While there have been other incidents involving exploding smartphone batteries, and some dangerous, chemical-leaking cases, a death that has been directly linked to a smartphone is a rare occurrence.

Recommended Videos

One of the last reported such incidents occurred in July 2013, when a 23-year-old Chinese flight attendant named Ma Ailun died in a result of a similar incident. When she answered a charging iPhone 5, the phone electrocuted her, killing her instantly. In this case, Xinhua News Agency reports, the iPhone involved was purchased from an official Apple Store and was charging with its intended Apple charger.

Mohamad’s husband, a policeman, sent her to the hospital immediately after she was electrocuted, but medical personnel were unable to save her. “The victim died during treatment at the hospital and the case has been classified as sudden death,” Kajang police deputy chief Supt Abdul Ghani Mohamad Ji said in a statement.

According to a 2013 CNN report, electrocution involving cellphones remains very uncommon. “We have seen very few incidents related to shock or electrocution (involving cell phones),” said Scott Wolfson, communications director for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. “Most of our attention has been on overheating, smoke or fire.” But to protect yourself, “Stick to the company that made your phone when you’re buying replacement products,” Wolfson added.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Mobile

iPad Mini 6 experiencing charging issue after being updated to iPadOS 15.5

Person holding the iPad Mini 6 in hand.

Some owners of the iPad Mini 6 are experiencing a charging issue with the device after updating it to iPadOS 15.5.

Apple is investigating the problem and has sent a memo about it to authorized service providers, according to MacRumors.

Mobile

My favorite Z Fold 3 feature? Using it as a ‘normal’ smartphone

Man holding a Galaxy Z Fold 3 showing a browser window on the outer screen.

A few weeks ago, while waiting for a new review phone to arrive, I returned to the Galaxy Z Fold 3. During that time, I've used it more with the screen closed than open. At first, this may sound like an admission that folding smartphones are gimmicky failures — but it’s not. It’s proof that folding phones work well normally, in everyday, general circumstances. More important, it's something that may help people still on the fence jump off and into the waiting arms of a foldable device.
Folded up, it's a normal phone
Closed, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a standard-sounding 6.2-inch AMOLED screen, 2268 x 832 resolution, and a dynamic refresh rate up to 120Hz. Where it differs from other phones with similar-sized screens is in its overall dimensions. It’s 67mm wide, while an iPhone 13 with its 6.1-inch screen is nearly 72mm wide. Yet it's much taller at 158mm compared to the iPhone 13’s 146mm. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is tall and slim when folded up. It’s also, obviously, quite thick. At its largest point, it’s 16mm — twice the nearly 8mm thick iPhone 13.

While the Z Fold 3 does feel very unusual at first, it's something I've grown used to after using the phone since launch. I've quickly discovered the Fold 3 works really well when it’s closed, which is perhaps at odds with some perceptions of the device. I open the screen out when needed, not because I have to.

Mobile

Nothing founder teases company’s first Android smartphone

Nothing Ear 1 app's gesture control settings.

Carl Pei, founder of Nothing, has teased that the London-based consumer technology startup is working on its very first Android smartphone.

Rumors about a smartphone being developed by Nothing sprang up in October 2021, nine months after the ex-cofounder of OnePlus left the Chinese smartphone maker to launch the very company that reminds Greek mythology buffs of Odysseus calling himself Nobody. On Tuesday, Pei sent out a tweet that seems to corroborate those rumors.