Investigators say a mobile battery that caught fire on a JR Yamanote Line train in Tokyo on Sunday had been subject to a recall. The incident left five people with minor injuries.
The train was traveling between Shinjuku and Shin-Okubo stations shortly after 4 p.m.
The battery owner, a woman in her 30s, reportedly said her mobile battery grew hot while charging her smartphone. Although she disconnected it, it didn’t cool down and ignited about 30 seconds later.
The fire was quickly put out with an extinguisher. The woman suffered a burn to her hand, and four others sustained minor injuries.
Sources said Tokyo police investigators and others found from the battery’s model number that it had been recalled due to a risk of smoke emission or fire.
The Consumer Affairs Agency and the battery’s seller said about 39,000 units of the model had been shipped over a period of 20 months through August 2021.
Sixteen fires have been associated with this model. In April in Kanagawa Prefecture, the battery and the area around it burned after charging.
The police are further investigating the cause of Sunday’s fire.
AloJapan.com