ViralPressA man has died after being electrocuted while he was listening to music with his phone charging.
Kritsada Supol, 24, was found dead in his bedroom with his phone still charging and his headphones in his ears. There were signs of burning around his ears, and the microphone section of the headphones was resting on his lips.
Police from the Phan Thong Provincial Police Station in Chonburi, Thailand, who inspected the scene, believe the 24-year-old was electrocuted while using the earphones and charging his phone at the same time.
Police Captain Jaleuk Polthong said:
We believe a short circuit caused his death while he was on the phone with someone or he was listening to music.
It looks like the victim was electrocuted but the body will be sent for an autopsy to confirm the exact cause of death.
Police are warning mobile phone users about the dangers of cheap chargers.
Captain Polthong added:
Many people could be in danger if they use cheap chargers which are not manufactured from the authorised company.
Wall sockets usually have a much higher output than required for a phone charger. While most chargers are able to convert the voltage correctly, if they are manufactured poorly they can malfunction and potentially send 240 volts through the cables.
Sadly, Kritsada is not the first person to die after a phone and phone charger malfunctioned.
Luiza Pinheiro, from Riacho Frio in Brazil, died in February last year when her phone charger had sent a ‘huge electric charge’ through her phone and the headphones she was wearing at the time, The Sun reports.
The 17-year-old girl was found lying on the floor in her home. She was rushed to hospital but sadly doctors could not save her.
At the time, a hospital spokesperson said:
The girl’s grandmother told the doctor that they found her granddaughter unconscious, lying on the floor and with headphones in her ears.
They said they believe that the young woman had an electric shock because the cell phone was charging and the phone was melted.
It is stated in the medical record that the girl was admitted to the hospital one hour after the electric shock.
It may be tempting to buy a cheap phone charger to save yourself some money, but you should always make sure it’s compatible and – more importantly – safe.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.