HK Apple store employees hospitalized after battery explosion

Two employees at an Apple store in Hong Kong were hospitalized on Friday after inhaling smoke from a burning smartphone battery, reports South China Morning Post.

The battery exploded while it was being repaired at the store. After inhaling noxious smoke from the burning battery, the employees fell sick and were sent to Queen Mary Hospital for treatment.

An Apple store in the Hong Kong business district [File Photo: AP/Kin Cheung]

Police said an initial investigation found nothing suspicious, and that local authorities were investigating the cause of the explosion.

A representative of the store said no customers were affected, and that trading quickly resumed.

Similar incidents were reported last month in Zurich and Valencia, leaving several people injured.

To date no widespread incidents of iPhone battery fires or explosions have been reported, and the current fall in iPhone sales is unrelated to these recent incidents.