Burned Without Shape... Cause Unconfirmed
[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The Samsung smartphone 'Galaxy A21,' released last year, has come under scrutiny as the cause of a fire on a flight to Seattle, USA.
According to reports from the Seattle Times on the 24th (local time), a passenger's mobile phone caught fire on Alaska Airlines flight 751, which flew from New Orleans to Seattle the previous day. As smoke filled the cabin, 128 passengers and 6 crew members evacuated urgently via the emergency slides. Two people were taken to a local hospital but sustained minor injuries.
Perry Cooper, spokesperson for the Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, stated, "The phone that caught fire was burned beyond recognition," but added, "The smartphone owner stated in an interview with the Seattle Port Police that it was a Samsung Galaxy A21."
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport also tweeted that "the fire was extinguished shortly after arrival, and passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft." However, they corrected that the fire occurred in the cargo hold, not the cabin. They added, "Passengers were transported to the terminal by bus, and some sustained minor injuries," and "The aircraft was towed to the gate, and airport operations were not affected."
Foreign media have pointed to the possibility of a battery defect, recalling the 2016 Samsung Note7 recall incident. Samsung conducted a recall in 2016 due to frequent battery explosions in the Note7. After a series of charging-related accidents worldwide, a battery defect supplied by Samsung SDI was confirmed, leading to consumer apologies and compensation. At that time, the use of the Note7 was completely banned on airplanes in the United States.
IT media outlet The Verge noted, "While the Note7 was recalled due to battery explosion incidents, it has not been confirmed whether the A21 has a common defect," and pointed out, "There have also been several reports of battery fires in phones from other brands." SamMobile stated, "All devices equipped with lithium-ion batteries carry risks of fire and explosion, so this cannot be seen as a problem unique to the A21," but also noted, "However, this incident reminds us of the Note7, which was recalled worldwide due to numerous fires." Sky News described it as "an incident following the infamous 2016 Note7 product recall," but added, "So far, no similar concerns have been raised about the Samsung A21."
The cause of the accident has not been confirmed, and Samsung has launched an internal investigation after becoming aware of the incident. A Samsung official said, "We are working closely with local authorities regarding this matter," and added, "We will identify the exact cause as soon as possible and take necessary measures."
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