UP: 8-month-old infant reportedly dies after phone battery explodes in Bareilly

In a tragic incident, an eight-month-old baby in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly city has reportedly died after the battery of a cellphone kept near her exploded. The keypad phone was kept on charging and already had a swollen battery when it exploded next to the baby.

According to a report by ET, purchased just six months ago, the keypad phone already had a swollen battery that was plugged into a switch, that was connected to a solar panel.

The cellphone exploded next to the infant and caused severe burn injuries leading to the baby's death. According to the UP police, this is a case of negligence from the parents and so far, no case has been registered.

The father of the infant, identified as Suneel Kumar Kashyap, a 30-year-old labourer, and the family was living in an under-construction house without a power connection. For lighting and charging their electronics, they were utilising a solar panel and battery.

As per the report, Kashyap was working while his wife, a stay-at-home mother, was caring for their girls. The baby was napping on the bed where she supposedly stored the phone. Kusum said in her statement that she was talking to a neighbour at the time of the event and hurried back when she heard her kid screaming for help.

Ajay Kumar, Kashyap's brother, said that the phone exploded because the adapter was not connected when it was being charged via a USB cord. Kumar was quoted as saying, "My brother didn't have sufficient money for Neha's treatment at a private hospital, otherwise, her life may have been saved."

Published on: Wednesday, September 14, 2022, 02:14 PM IST