The Apple Store in Leidseplein square, Amsterdam was evacuated Sunday afternoon as the result of an apparent overheating iPad battery.
While the lithium-ion battery in the device did not explode or begin visibly smoking, it supposedly began emitting vapors which led to three Apple Store employees being check over on site by ambulance personnel.
Brandweer aanwezig bij incident met mobiel apparaat bij de #AppleStore #Leidseplein. Geen rook, wel drie personen met ademhalingsproblemen. Vermoedelijk door een lekkende accupack. Zij worden ter plaatse nagekeken.
— Brandweer AA (@BrandweerAA) August 19, 2018
The iPad was placed in a bin of sand, and the Apple Store temporarily evacuated until it could be properly ventilated. Genius Bar appointment were also reportedly cancelled as a precautionary measure. It’s not clear from the report whether the iPad was one that had been brought in for repairs by a customer.
The trouble with lithium-ion
As with any device containing a lithium-ion battery, Apple devices are subject to occasional (although rare) problems in this regard. Recently, an iPhone was seemingly recorded on camera exploding and briefly catching on fire at a Las Vegas repair shop. Other similar instances have also been reported over the years.
Fortunately in this case, it appears that Apple Store employees acted very quickly, and did the right thing. We’re glad to hear that no-one was seriously injured, and hopefully Apple is able to get to the bottom of this specific problem soon.
Source: iCulture
