14-year-old girl found dead by her parents due to electrocution by her faulty phone charger

Mobile phones are indispensable in our daily lives, particularly in communicating with others via text messaging or social media. But most smartphones are not built to last one day without charging, hence the popularity of powerbanks and cheap charging cables. For some who prefer to plug their phones for an overnight charging, you might be in danger, just like this teenager who died from electrocution after she charged her phone overnight, and left it on her bed.

A teenage girl was found dead in Vietnam after being electrocuted in her sleep by her faulty iPhone charging cable.

She was found unconscious by her parents and rushed to a local hospital; however, doctors were unable to revive her and pronounced her dead.

According to Vietnamese police, a “broken down” charging adaptor with attached frayed cable was discovered on the victim’s bed, aside from a unit of Apple iPhone 6, The Independent reported. Further examination revealed that there were burn marks on the victim’s bedding.

Based on the investigation, the girl plugged her device, just like what she did every night. However, she might have been electrocuted when she sleepily rolled over the cable.

Her parents rushed her to the hospital. However, she was declared dead on arrival.

According to The Sun, the victim might have been aware of her cable’s wear and tear after some parts of the cable were wrapped with tape. Moreover, the cable was discovered to be shorter than Apple’s original 0.5-meter accessory, prompting investigators to determine if the faulty cable was a third-party device.

Various media outlets reached out to Apple for comment on the tragedy. As of report writing, the California-based company has not issued any statement regarding the matter.

The maker of iPhones and iPads repeatedly called on its customers to only purchase Apple-certified accessories, such as earphones, adaptors, and charging cables. However, it’s no secret that these are known to be expensive, overpriced even, leading more consumers prefer cheaper knock-offs over the original ones.

Besides, there’s no assurance that just because it’s expensive it means it lasts longer and better made. In fact, there are still reports of exploding batteries and faulty cables, not just from Apple but from other brands as well.

While these accidents cannot be avoided, it’s best to keep an eye over charging mobile phones.

Here are reactions from the netizens regarding the unfortunate incident: