Zurich Apple Store evacuated after iPhone battery overheats

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Zurich Apple Store
50 people were forced to leave the Zurich Apple Store
Photo: Apple

The Zurich Apple Store evacuated workers and fans on Tuesday after an iPhone battery overheated.

The handset was being repaired when its battery malfunctioned, leaving one employee with minor burns and forcing around 50 people to leave the store, according to Swiss police.

Apple’s batteries are considered safe — a lot safer than Samsung’s — but any lithium-ion cell can potentially malfunction and overheat. In this particular case, an Apple employee was working to remove the battery at the time, which could have caused it to become damaged.

One Apple employee suffers minor burns

“At the same time, there was a slight build-up of smoke, which led to around 50 customers and employees having to leave the business temporarily,” a police statement said, according to Reuters. “The staff responded well and correctly.”

Sand was used to cover the battery in an effort to avoid further damage, and ventilation was turned on to remove the smoke. Seven people required medical treatment, but none needed to be hospitalized. Forensic specialists were called to investigate the incident.

It’s not clear if this particular battery repair was carried out as part of Apple’s new replacement program. Launched in response to customer backlash after Apple admitted iPhone throttling, it gives customers the option to get a new battery out-of-warranty for just $29.

Apple has not publicly commented on the report.

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