A young Vietnamese woman was injured after her mobile phone apparently exploded, a spokesman for manufacturer Nokia said on Thursday.
Chung Xao Le, 22, was having breakfast on Wednesday in a cafeteria at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City where she worked as a therapist when her phone in
her pocket, a Nokia 8210, exploded.
"We are investigating the blast," said Nguyen Huu Nguyen, a communications officer for the Finnish company's office in Ho Chi Minh City.
Le suffered from burns of 10 per cent and remains in hospital.
Nokia has sent a team of technicians to investigate the blast, which could have been caused by a fake battery, Nguyen said.
Contraband and counterfeit mobile phone batteries are widely available in the local markets at around $2-$3 a piece compared to $20 for genuine product, Nguyen said.
Despite relatively modest incomes in the communist country, mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular, with trend-conscious young people among the most avid users.
The country numbers 1.6 million mobile phone users among its population of 80 million.