November 27, 2004

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  Exploding Cell Phones a Growing Problem

  
  

   

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  Tue Nov 23, 6:38 PM ET

  
  

  By ELIZABETH WOLFE, Associated Press Writer

  
  

  Curtis Sathre said it was like a bomb going off. His 13-year-old son Michael stood stunned, ears ringing, hand gushing blood after his cell phone exploded.

  
  

  Safety officials have received 83 reports of cell phones exploding or catching fire in the past two years, usually because of bad batteries or chargers. Burns to the face, neck, leg and hip are among the dozens of injury reports the Consumer Product Safety Commission has received.

  
  

  U.S. phone makers and carriers note that in a country with some 170 million cell phone users, the number of accidents is extremely low.

  
  

   

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