Explosive Hong Kong Phone Call

Mobile Phone Blew Up!

HONG KONG (Reuters via Yahoo)

When Chan Tin-hon's mobile phone went off, it went off with a bang. "I was lining up in a bank," the 22-year-old from Hong Kong told local Cable TV. "When I hung up the phone, it exploded. It was very loud."

The station showed Chan's phone, a Nokia 3310, in tatters and a spokeswoman for the manufacturer said they would investigate.

"We've been in contact with the police. It's confirmed that it was a Nokia phone," the spokeswoman said.

"We're trying to get hold of the product for technical testing. But as we haven't got hold of the product yet, we can't provide further information at the moment," she added.

Last year there were several incidents of Nokia phones exploding or bursting into flames in Europe. Nokia said other manufacturers' batteries, and not its own, were to blame for the incidents.

Consumer groups in Italy and Belgium said an independent laboratory test they commissioned showed two types of Nokia batteries lacked safety valves to prevent overheating and fire in case of a short-circuit, but the company disputed the results.

It was unclear if the phone in Tuesday's incident had been bought from a licensed dealer.