TV worker dies after vape pen explodes fracturing his skull
A TELEVISION producer was killed when a vape pen exploded, causing shrapnel to lodge in his skull.
American Tallmadge D’Elia also suffered 80 per cent burns to his body in a fire caused by the explosion at his Florida home.
A medical examiner’s report concluded the 38-year-old was fatally wounded when the explosion sent two pieces of the vape pen into his cranium. The death was ruled an accident. Mr D’Elia’s father, Christopher, said his son was a “talented” and “smart” young man, who “loved his job” and had worked at CNBC’s headquarters in New Jersey.
A post-mortem examination report said that vape pen was a “mod” type made by a company called Smok-E Mountain.
A representative for the company claimed their devices did not explode but said there were safety concerns over other companies cloning their batteries.
The US Food and Drug Administration said it was not clear what causes some vape pens to explode, but it could stem from battery-related issues.
Vape pens, like many smartphones, use lithium-ion batteries. In 2016, Samsung withdrew its Galaxy Note 7 phone after some caught fire when the batteries short-circuited.
Mr D’Elia’s death earlier this month was believed to be the first such tragedy in the US. But the US Fire Administration records show between 2009-16 there were 133 acute injuries, 38 severe, in nearly 200 separate incidents of explosions and fires involving vapes.
In one example in 2015, a 29-yearold Colorado man broke his neck and shattered teeth when an e-cigarette exploded in his face.
Exploding e-cigarettes have also been reported in the UK. In 2014, a vape blew up in Wigan, sending shards of metal into a man’s limbs.