A Dundee dad has warned people to turn chargers off at night after his “exploded” while his phone was plugged in.
Arran Rooney, 33, was in bed when the charger blew up.
The dad-of-two says the charger seemed to overheat before it burst out of the plug socket with a bang and a flash of blue – lighting up the room.
Arran, who bought the charger on eBay just one month before Monday night’s incident, said: “I was lying in bed doing emails and invoices.
“The charger must have overheated or something because it just exploded and went ‘bang’, blew out the wall.
“Half of it was left in the socket.
“My son was in the room at the time. He went sheet white.
“He ran through and made sure his chargers were turned off.
“My wife always warns them, but I’ll be making sure they’re turned off now.”
Arran took to social media to warn others following the incident.
The post has since been shared hundreds of times, which Arran – a floor supplier and installer – hopes will help raise awareness of the dangers of leaving electrical appliances on overnight.
Arran said: “It is worrying. I just don’t want that to happen to a bairn.”
It comes after a faulty extension cable was thought to have led to a house fire in Dunfermline in April, leaving a mum and two of her children in hospital.
Fire service urges people to unplug appliances
A Scottish Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: “We would advise people to switch off and unplug all electrical appliances; they are not designed to be left on overnight as they could overheat and catch fire.
“Never overcharge mobile phones or use when charging.
“For further general safety advice please visit the SFRS website.”
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