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Man says he was burned when his iPhone exploded in his pocket

Erik Johnson said he spent ten days in a hospital burn unit after the phone exploded and burned his skin through the fabric of his pants.
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A New York man suffered second- and third-degree burns after, he says, his iPhone exploded in his pocket.  Erik Johnson said he spent ten days in a hospital burn unit after the phone exploded and burned his skin through the fabric of his pants on Valentine’s Day, according to WABC.

“I bent over to get keys and all I heard was a ‘pop’ and after a little ‘ssshh,’ smoke coming out, and just like an instant burn. My leg just starts going on fire, try to get it out, can’t get it out.  I was literally jumping up and down to get the phone out of my pocket but I had dress pants on. I think the phone melted my pockets shut so I couldn’t get into it and I had to rip my pants off. A couple of people actually said they could smell my body burning,” Johnson said.

Tech expert Ronald Gerber says the smallest bit of damage to a phone’s circuit board, or the use of third-party charging devices, can cause the battery to overheat and spew lithium lava.  It was unclear yet exactly what caused the phone to become so hot, the metal warped and stuck to Johnson’s iPhone.

As Johnson heals, Apple says it is looking into the case.

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