Exploding Cellphone Battery Calls Out the Bomb-Squad

A bomb squad was sent to a school in Des Moines yesterday after reports of an explosion was heard there. It turned out to be an exploding cellphone battery in a school class-room, and no one was injured, according to a Des Moines police report cited by the Des Moines Register newspaper.

"The battery discharged after a student was tampering with it," the report states. No details are available about which make of battery was involved, although it should be remembered that practically every example of exploding batteries so far has been due to the use of low cost copy-cat brands.

The former Kurtz Middle School building houses students while their school is being renovated. The ninth- grade class from Lincoln High School is currently attending classes there.

On the web: The Des Moines Register

Posted to the site on 10th October 2007