Woman calmly extinguished fire despite suffering burns when charging power bank explodes at home

MALAYSIA: A woman in Malaysia suffered burns on her arm after a power bank exploded and caught fire while she was charging it at home.

According to Sin Chew Daily, the incident occurred on Monday (Nov 3) around 2 p.m. The woman, Nurul Najihah, shared on Facebook that the device suddenly burst into flames just minutes after she plugged it in to charge.

She said she had noticed her power bank was about 70% charged and decided to top it up to full capacity. She placed it on the white carpet in her bedroom, near her printer, and went about browsing Facebook on her phone. About 15 minutes later, she heard what she described as a “bomb-like” explosion, followed by red and orange flames.

“I was sitting in a chair browsing Facebook, and the power bank was right next to my arm when the flames started burning my arm,” she wrote.

Despite being in pain and shock, Nurul said she managed to stay calm. She rushed to the bathroom to fetch a wet cloth and a bucket of water to extinguish the flames before they spread further.

“I ignored the pain in my arm and only thought about putting out the fire,” she said.

After putting the fire out, she immediately turned off all electrical sockets and the main power supply to prevent further danger.

Nurul shared that the power bank, priced between RM70 and RM100 (S$22 to S$31), was purchased in either 2022 or 2023. She speculated that the explosion could have been caused by prolonged use, the hot weather, overcharging, or the fact that it had been placed on a carpet.

The incident has left her shaken, and she said it served as a stark reminder of the importance of safe charging habits.

“Actually, any brand can explode. I’m sharing this to warn everyone. Please don’t charge your devices on carpets, don’t overcharge, and make sure the charging location is safe,” she cautioned.