Xiaomi phone explodes in 3-year-old China boy's hands, causes burns

A three-year-old boy in China was using a Xiaomi phone when it apparently suddenly exploded, resulting in burns to the boy's hands and legs.

Citing Chinese media outlet Hua Shang Daily, 8world reported that a person from Jiangsu had uploaded a video of the incident onto social media on Sep. 7.

In the video, the boy could be seen holding the phone and jumping on the sofa when the phone suddenly burst into flames.

Boy was severely burnt

8world reported that in the comments section of the post, the person who uploaded the video wrote that the boy sustained burns to his left hand and legs, and parts of his skin visibly burned.

Some of the skin blisters caused by the burns had also ruptured, and parts of the damaged skin peeled off.

Xiaomi to collect the leftover parts for investigation

According to 8world, it was revealed that the phone that exploded was a Xiaomi 13, and it had never been sent for repair or modifications after being purchased.

The person who uploaded the video said he had contacted Xiaomi's official customer service.

The staff had told him that they would retrieve the leftover parts of the phone and send them to Xiaomi's research and development centre for testing to investigate the cause of the explosion.

Those using same Xiaomi model concerned

The Xiaomi 13 model was officially released on Dec. 11, 2022, and has been on the market for less than three years.

8world reported that many online commenters, who claimed to be using the same Xiaomi 13 model, expressed concerns, saying that they "never thought that the phone would explode under ordinary, everyday use".

They also hoped that the authorities would announce the results of the investigation as soon as possible.

Others urged the public not to jump to conclusions:

"After all, this is an isolated incident. Whether or not a defect in the phone caused the incident is still under investigation by the authorities."

Several possible reasons for the explosion

According to 8world, several online users pointed out that the explosion could be caused by various factors, such as battery quality, circuit design, external impact, or exposure to high temperatures.

The precise cause would have to be disclosed by the authorities.

Under China's poduct quality law, manufacturers are liable for personal injuries caused by product defects.

In an interview on Sep. 8, a Xiaomi customer service representative stated that professional testing has to be conducted before the cause of the explosion can be determined.

Later, when a reporter posed as a consumer with a query, another staff member described such incidents as rare, adding that causes are complex and likely result from a combination of factors.

Xiaomi has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.

Top photos via 不知名的孙小姐/Weibo