10-year-old suffers 2nd-degree burns after smart watch explodes on his arm

A ten-year-old boy in New Taipei City is likely to require skin graft surgery after a smart watch he was wearing exploded and caught fire, Friday, June 30.

According to reports, the boy was on his way to a cram school in Tucheng District Friday afternoon when his watch suddenly exploded and instantly ignited. A street vendor immediately came to the boy’s assistance and applied ointment to the resulting wound, and the boy continued to the cram school. Once he arrived at school, teachers judged his injuries to be serious and called an ambulance.

Doctors at Tucheng Hospital found that the boy had suffered second-degree burns to his right wrist and first-degree burns to fingers on his left hand. After first aid treatment it was judged that the patient may require skin graft surgery.

A New Taipei City Fire Department spokesperson said that the quality of smartwatches available online is variable, and consumers should be careful to purchase certified and reliable brands in order to avoid spontaneous combustion or explosion hazards.

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