Kentish Express Ashford & District
Family ‘lucky to be alive’ after charger melt-down
Device caught alight on sofa in small hours of morning
A man says his family are lucky to be alive after his mobile phone charger exploded in the middle of the night.
Father of two Richard Conway, 28, from Ashford, plugged a portable charger case for his iPhone 6 into the wall on Monday night before falling asleep on the sofa.
However, he woke at around 2.45am to a cracking sound and smoke filling the front room.
The plastic case had caught fire.
He explains: “I fell asleep on the sofa but woke up to the sound of cracking and popping in my ear.
“I could feel heat on my shoulder and the living room was full of smoke.
“At first I didn’t know what it was, but then realised it was the charger.
“It had caught fire and was burning the sofa.
“I pushed it off the sofa and on to the carpet and it blew into flames.”
The blue case, which he purchased off eBay two months ago for £15, then melted on the floor.
There is now a hole in his carpet, two sofa cushions have been burnt, and his Apple wall charger cable has also been damaged.
Fortunately, the smouldering case didn’t injure his shoulder.
Mr Conway, who is father to Rubi, seven, and Blake, two, has now contacted the seller on eBay to let them know what happened.
He is also warning others against buying these types of chargers, which act as an external back-up power bank for mobile phones.
The railway worker adds: “I got it because I work different hours and need to top up my phone.
“I normally leave it to charge on the kitchen side when I go to bed. But, if it wasn’t for me falling asleep on the sofa I don’t think me, my partner, Brydee, or two children would be here today.”
He posted a warning on Facebook on Tuesday, and it has already been shared 100 times.
He said: “I want to warn others about how dangerous they are. If you have one of these chargers, throw it away. We are lucky to be here.”
‘I pushed it off the sofa and on to the carpet and it blew into flames’
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