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Rude awakening as battery burns

Johannesburg, 04 Oct 2007

Pietermaritzburg businessman Ismail Noorgat claims he did not know Nokia had recalled the type of battery that exploded in his phone last week.

Noorgat and his family were badly burned when his Nokia 6230i's battery detonated while charging on his bedside table.

In August, Nokia advised, through the media and a series of advertisements, that mobile phone owners should check whether a Nokia-branded BL-5C battery powers their devices.

The company set up a Web site and suggested South African customers contact the Nokia call centre should they suspect they own faulty devices.

Missed the news

Noorgat says he did not know about the recalled batteries until after the incident, when friends brought the company's strategy to his attention.

"I have had this phone for over a year-and-a-half, when I became a Cell C contract subscriber."

However, Noorgat says he had not received any communication from his service provider, or Nokia, regarding the possible danger of the battery. "I also don't read too much of the news, mostly the sports page and the cartoons, so I had no idea."

At the time of publication, Cell C had not commented on the methods it had used to communicate the problem.

In an official statement, Nokia said it had been informed about the incident in Pietermaritzburg. "We are now in the process of contacting the individual to further investigate this case."

The company says that, until such time as a formal investigation has been completed, it would be inappropriate to speculate on the possible cause, or the authenticity of the battery in question.

Legal action

However, Noorgat says the incident was very real. "My wife woke screaming at one in the morning, and I could not ask her what was wrong, because I was being electrocuted."

He adds the explosion was followed by bright flashes, which he believes was the current passing between him and the phone. "My hand was badly burned as was the t-shirt I was wearing at the time."

His wife's nightdress was badly burned and his six-week-old baby suffered a burn to the lip.

Nokia says product safety is a primary concern for the company. "As such, we take all matters in regard to the safety of our products very seriously. It is important to our company, our employees and, most important, our consumers."

Noorgat says he is considering the possibility of legal action against the company.

Related stories:
Nokia recalls batteries
Phones users to save energy
Sony plans battery recall

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