Cell Phone Explosion, Fire Kills CEO Inside Home In Malaysia

A cell phone explosion last week in Malaysia was responsible for the death of a CEO of a venture capital firm, according to a statement released by his company on Friday.

Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd CEO Nazrin Hassan, 45, was killed inside his home in the township of Mutiara Damansara in Malaysia on Thursday when a cell phone that was being charged near his bed exploded and caught fire, the Malaysian Insight reported.

A message from the family posted to social media quoting Hasan’s brother-in-law as saying that the mobile device had overheated causing an explosion.

"He had two phones, one Blackberry and a Huawei. We don't know which one exploded. Who would have thought such an innocuous routine procedure is the reason three young kids will grow up without their father by their side," the message said, according to the publication.

Hassan became trapped inside his bedroom and likely died of smoke inhalation, according to police. About 30 percent of the victim's body had severe burns, the Star reported. He leaves behind a wife and four children.

Cradle Fund, in a press release, confirmed that the post-mortem report revealed Hassan's death resulted from injuries consistent with an explosion from a cell phone.

Hassan worked for Cradle for 15 years where he dedicated his time to helping promote early-stage funding for tech start-up companies, according to his colleagues. He received his education in the United Kingdom and earned a Bachelor of Laws in 1994 at the University of Buckingham.

"Cradle has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being," Cradle Chief Operations Officer Razif Aziz said. "Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Nazrin have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor."

Juliana Jan, Chief Investment Officer Of Cradle, described Hassan as a "one-of-a-kind leader" who left an "incredible mark" on the company.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by this news. Having worked with him for many years, his vision and passion have brought endless possibilities to not just Cradle but to the start-up ecosystem," Jan said. "He touched and inspired us, the Cradle family, along with many start-up founders, investors and partners."