A 12-year-old boy in India suffered grave injuries after a mobile phone battery exploded and several pieces of it pierced through his body, including the liver.

The boy, identified as Afzal, picked up a mobile battery that was thrown in a garbage dump in the northern state of Madhya Pradesh. He then brought it home and connected it with a live wire, causing the blast. The battery was ripped apart and its pieces were flung around, India Today reported.

Upon hearing the explosion and the screams of the child, the boy’s mother and neighbors rushed to the home and found Afzal lying in a pool of blood. The brand of the battery was not known.

The grade 4 student was rushed to a local hospital where doctors said that the battery had pierced through his body, including his stomach. It had penetrated into his liver, leading to massive bleeding. He was undergoing treatment and reported to be in a critical condition.

Senior surgeon Dr. VP Sesha told Free Press Journal that some pieces of the battery penetrated deep into Afzal’s body and severely damaged the interior parts. One of the pieces had entered the liver and the others, his lungs. There was continuous bleeding from the liver and if it did not stop, the boy would have to undergo a surgery. The victim also suffered injuries to his hands, feet, mouth, stomach and chest.

To avoid such accidents, Dr. Sesha urged all the parents to ensure their children don’t use phones while on charge.

Last year, a man in the eastern Indian state of Odisha died after his charging phone exploded while he was sleeping in his room. Kuna Pradhan, 22, went to sleep after putting his cell phone on charge. Minutes later, the device exploded. The incident, however came to light only the following morning when his housemates found smoke inside the room and found him lying dead with portions of his body and face completely charred.

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Representational image AFP/Getty Images/Brendan Smialowski
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