Man's House Caught On Fire After A Power Bank Charging Overnight Exploded
The power banks were made in China.
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 25 Jun 2019, 11:55 AM
On 23 June, a house in Hong Kong caught on fire after a charging power bank exploded
The incident occurred at 4am in a two-storey house in Tuen Mun.
The owner, Law, was out with friends, Coconuts Hong Kong reported.
The 52-year-old had left several portable power banks charging simultaneously in the middle of the night
Among the four to five charging power banks, at least one power bank is said to have exploded, causing the fire.
A neighbour spotted the fire and alerted the authorities.
After evacuating 18 residents, it took firefighters 28 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
Everything inside the house was destroyed, with Law's electrical appliances and furniture severely damaged
"The power banks were made in China - I bought them from Sham Shui Po over a year ago," he said, according to The Standard.
However, the man refused to divulge the brand of the devices or the name of the shop where he bought them.
In September 2017, Hong Kong's Consumer Council found that nine of 30 models of external chargers tested failed to meet safety standards
The council asked users to avoid keeping power banks fully charged for a long time and to unplug them after they have finished charging.
Power banks should also be stored in a cool place to slow down its aging process, The Standard reported.