LG laptop goes up in flames
Journalist on the scene in less than seconds
A journalist was awoken by a hot news story yesterday: the realisation that his LG Electronics laptop had just exploded.
The so-far anonymous journalist had apparently put the laptop into sleep mode. Unfortunately, the device was not ready for bye-bye and instead blew itself sky high, belching smoke and flames.
The specific reason behind the explosion is still unknown, but the laptop did contain a lithium-ion battery from Korean chemicals company LG Chem Ltd.
A spokeswoman for LG Chem told Bloomberg.com that it has already asked a third party to investigate the matter. LG Electronics is also thought to be looking into the incident.
The news of yet another exploding laptop is bad news for the industry, which is only starting to put similar high-profile incidents behind it. In September last year a Dell laptop burst into flames in China, despite the PC giant earlier recalling 4.1m laptop batteries over fears that they could catch fire.
Toshiba also announced in June last year that a laptop battery pack made by Sony had self-immolated, although Toshiba decided to keep details of that blaze very quiet.®
COMMENTS
@Ludwig
True, that is a possibility, and so should be investigated scientifically for real dangers as opposed to scaremongering into thinking all LiON batteries are fundamentally flawed.
For all we know this nameless journo purposefully abused it to try and prove some kind of laptop battery danger conspiracy, but could have ended up deliberately abusing it for weeks or months before it exploded (above that of normal wear and tear) - so isnt it interesting he/she is keeping shtum about who they are and the exact details?
Of course manufacturing techniques (amongst lots of other factors) will increase or decrease the 'susceptibility' to explosion/fire, but have we not already established the event is a rarity in relation to the amount of batteries actually produced? And so individual factors must be quite small.
Serves 'im right - photos too hot to handle?
Photos too hot to handle, eh? I'll get me coat...
@Stu - Scaremongering
One in a billion chance? Not if they're all made the same way - then there's a much greater chance that whatever design defect caused an unplanned disassociation of one battery could cause the same of many others.
Just hope that you're not too near that you get burned, but near enough to put out the flames.
This laptop will self-destruct in seven seconds...
This "unnamed" reporter is obviously some sort of spy. Either that, or he got his laptop mixed up with that of a good old fashioned secret agent.
He must've slept through the warning that all self-destructing spy devices are required to give.
My coat and bag, please. No need for hat or gloves today, as it's quite nice out.
@ Stu
"Overall am I correct in saying theres a higher chance of being hit by the proverbial lightening strike?"
Yes. And that there's a better chance that GW Bush and Osama will sit down and settle their "differences" over a nice cuppa down t'local. Assuming you believe they have any real differences.
