Apple to investigate iPhone 5 electrocution in China

Apple Inc yesterday announced it would "thoroughly investigate" an electrocution incident which allegedly claimed the life of a woman in northwest China as she tried to answer a phone call with a recharging iPhone 5, Xinhua reports.

Ma Ailun, a 23-year-old flight attendant with China Southern Airlines, reached for her iPhone 5 to answer a call while the battery was being charged when she was electrocuted and killed last Thursday, the police said yesterday.

Police though have not confirmed whether a mobile phone was involved as they continued to probe the case.

A spokeswoman for Apple said the company was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic incident and offered condolences to the family. She added the company would fully investigate and co-operate with authorities in this matter.

Ma, who was to wed on 8 August, fell to the floor when making a call with her iPhone 5, which was being recharged at the time, Ma's sister said on her microblog account.

Her sister added that Ma had bought the iPhone in December at an official Apple store and was using the original charger to recharge the phone at the time of the incident.

"I want to warn everyone else not to make phone calls when your mobile phone is recharging," she tweeted.

"(I) hope that Apple Inc. can give us an explanation. I also hope that all of you will refrain from using your mobile devices while charging," her post reads.

Meanwhile, the post has gone viral online, with many forwarding the message and warning others of the dangers of using mobile devices while they were being charged.

Ma's father, Ma Guanghui, confirming that his daughter had been electrocuted, added that her body showed signs of electrocution.

Though local policed have confirmed Ma's death due to electrocution, they have yet to verify if her phone was involved in the incident, and arecontinuing to investigate the case.