A 34-year-old UK man claims he was thrown across the room and suffered burns to his fingers after trying to unplug his eight-year-old daughter’s iPad charger.
The UK’s Daily Mail reports Tim Gillooley had previously taken the charger to an Apple Store after recognising it was slow to charge, but was told by staff there was nothing wrong with it.
The incident reportedly took place at Gillooley’s mother’s house.
‘There was a massive bang and I felt a huge jolt up my arm, and I was thrown completely across the room,” Gillooley said.
“This has very serious safety implications. I am pretty angry because nine times out of 10, Chloe would have gone to get it herself.
“I think it would definitely have killed her. The shock I received was massive.”
While the device was reportedly purchased through the Apple Store in Liverpool, it is unclear whether or not the charger was a third-party accessory.
As SmartCompany reported last month, a 23-year-old China Southern Airlines flight attendant named Ma Ailun was allegedly talking on her iPhone, which was connected to a charger, and was suddenly killed as a result of a strong electric current.
In a separate incident, a 30-year-old man named Wu Jiantong was electrocuted while plugging a charger into his iPhone 5.
Without thinking, Wu’s sister, Wu Jian Xiang, attempted to pull the plug from the wall socket, herself experiencing an electric shock as a result.
While the exact cause of the electrocution remains uncertain, it appears Wu was using an unlicensed third-party charger at the time.
The Japanese government also issued a fire hazard warning in 2008 after two iPod Nanos overheated, causing house fires.