Alleged Nokia smartphone explosion kills 18-year-old Indian girl

An 18-year-old teenagaer from Kheriakani, Odisha, dies after her phone exploded when she was speaking to a relative. The alleged phone involved in the incident was said to be a Nokia 3310.

The report comes from Metro UK, which states that the teenager named Uma Oram was knocked unconscious after her phone exploded. The report states that the girl plugged in her charger after she saw the phone battery running down while talking.

Uma suffered injuries to her hand, leg and chest and was rushed to the local hospital. She later died in the hospital.

The incident was reported on March 19, where her brother (Durga Prasad Oram) said that her battery was draining out and she attempted to recharge the phone whilst talking. The phone suddenly exploded and before they knew what happened, Uma was unconscious. He told the reporters that the phone was a Nokia 3310; however the phone in the pictures looks more like a Nokia 5233.

The phone’s manufacturer has however denied that it was one of their devices.

A spokesperson from HMD Global, which is now the manufacturer of Nokia smartphones since 2017, said that they were not able to independently verify the facts of any such report and they are confirming that the phone in question was not manufactured by HMD Global.

‘As HMD Global, we are committed to producing high quality handsets which deliver a strong user experience and meet high customer expectations,’ stated HMD Global.

Police are investigating the incident, are gathering evidence and Uma’s body was sent for a post mortem.