Four family members killed after laptop battery explodes

By Giang Chinh August 15, 2021 | 11:13 pm PT

The house in Hai Phong City where a laptop exploded on August 16, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Chinh

Four members of a family in northern Vietnam died, probably of electric shock, following attempts to handle an exploded laptop battery, police said.

Nguyen Thi Thuy, 50, her daughter Nguyen Thi Hien and son-in-law Vu Truong Khuong, both 31, and granddaughter Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhi, four, were confirmed dead after an explosion at their home in Kien Bai Commune, Thuy Nguyen District of Hai Phong City.

Thuy’s husband, Nguyen Van Hai, was injured in the accident and is receiving treatment at hospital.

Neighbors first reported hearing a blast at the house around 8 p.m. on Sunday, with smoke detected emitting from the rear.

Locked from within, it took police a while to locate an injured Hai, along with his deceased relatives inside the house.

A preliminary investigation revealed the blast could have been caused by a laptop battery being charged, and that family members "might have rushed in to check on one another after the blast and got electrocuted."

Police have yet to obtain information from Hai due to his severe condition.

The investigation remains ongoing.