Exploding Earphone Kills Man In India

A 28-year-old man in the Indian state of Rajasthan died last week after his Bluetooth earphones exploded in his ears while he was using them.

The man — identified as Rakesh Nagar — died in his home in the village of Udaipuria on Friday evening after his Bluetooth earphones exploded while he was speaking with somebody over the phone, India Today reported.

The explosion had thrown Nagar off his chair, and he fell to the ground unconscious, a report by The Times of India said.

He was brought to Siddhivinayak Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds during treatment.

"He probably died of cardiac arrest, which is very common in such cases," Dr. L. N. Rundla was quoted as saying by The Times of India of Nagar, noting that the 28-year-old had sustained wounds on both his ears due to the blast.

An anonymous police official, who had gone to the same hospital to attend some work, said it appeared that the earphones had been connected to a mobile phone, which was charging at the time of the incident, according to the outlet.

"There is confusion as to how [the] earphones suddenly exploded," the police official said, adding that no one could corroborate the story as Nagar was alone in the room during the incident.

"His phone was probably plugged either into an electric outlet, or the earphones may have been directly connected with a computer," the official said.

Nagar got married in February and was the eldest among his siblings, The Hindustan Times reported. He was preparing for government recruitment tests through online learning courses when the incident occurred. He had spent most of his time studying in a small room located at his family's farm, according to The Times of India report.

It was unknown what brand or model the earphones were.

A similar incident was reported in Kazakhstan in late 2019 when a 14-year-old girl died after her charging smartphone exploded on her pillow while she was asleep.

Alua Asetkyzy Abzalbek had gone to bed listening to music, but she was found dead the next morning after her phone's battery was said to have exploded close to her head.

Forensic analysis later confirmed that the phone had exploded in the early hours of the morning after overheating as it charged, causing Abzalbek's death. The device was plugged into a power socket at the time of the incident, police said.

Abzalbek reportedly died on the spot after suffering severe head injuries from the blast. Medical personnel were unable to resuscitate the teen, who appeared to have been dead for some time when she was found.

The brand and model of her phone were not disclosed.