Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is investigating reports that a woman in China was electrocuted by her iPhone 5 when she picked it up while it was charging. The story was reported by South China Morning Post’s Joanna Chiu and Ng Kang-chung and Daily Mail’s Matt Blake.
Sites report details on the alleged iPhone 5 death
According to the reports, Ma Ailun, who worked as a flight attendant on China Southern Airlines, was answering her iPhone 5 when it rang while it was charging. Family members said she collapsed as soon as she picked up the phone. Although she was rushed to the hospital, medical personnel could not revive her.
Ma Ailun’s brother told Apple Daily that he believes she was electrocuted when she answered the iPhone. He said they handed over the device and its accessories to officials. Family members said she was using the original charger made by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and that she had purchased the device from an official Apple Store
Not long after the electrocution was reported, the woman’s sister started posting reports on the Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo. She warned readers not to make calls on their mobile phones while it is recharging. It didn’t take long for other Weibo users to pick up on her warning and increase its circulation.
Was it a real Apple product?
Products made by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) are very popular in China, and as Daily Mail reports, often they are cloned by merchants in the country looking to make money on the popular brand. Mobile phones like the iPhone 5 put out just 3 to 5 volts of electricity, but it takes 36 volts in order for a person to feel the shock. Experts told the publication that if there is an electrical problem with either the circuit or the charger, the result could be a 220-volt shock.
An unnamed spokeswoman for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) reportedly said they would “fully investigate and co-operate with authorities in this matter.”
