A SAMSUNG Galaxy S7 owner fears she could have been killed as it overheated in her hand and exploded.

Supply teacher Sarah Crockett, 30, told how the phone blew up in a busy cafe even though it was not being charged.

6 Sarah Crockett holds up charred remains of her Samsung Galaxy S7, which exploded in her hand Credit: Nick Obank

Similar incidents have been reported previously when the phones are on charge, although a case like Sarah’s has also emerged in the US.

And experts say it could spark a fresh crisis for Samsung.

The South Korean giant has already had to issue a full recall of its latest handset, the £750 Note 7, after devices burst into flames when charging.

6 CCTV footage caught the moment the Samsung phone overheated in Sarah’s hand as she sat in a cafe

6 The mobile went into meltdown after she dropped it on cafe table

6 The handset ballooned in size before melting in a cloud of white fumes

Mum-of-two Sarah, 30, was with husband Matt, 29, when her three-month-old mobile started to balloon in size before melting in clouds of white smoke in Witham, Essex.

She said: “It suddenly just expanded in my hand and got really, really hot.

“I dropped it on the table. Within a few seconds there was smoke everywhere and I jumped out of the way. The whole thing was just barbecued.

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“I lost all my photos, including my four-year-old son Ollie’s first day at school. But what if it had been in his hands? What if I had been driving?”

As customers fled, waiter Jordan Pierce, 32, picked the phone up with a cloth before dumping it outside.

Sarah sent CCTV footage from the Hold the Anchovies cafe to Samsung.

6 Mum Sarah's family photos were destroyed after the explosion obliterated her Samsung Credit: Nick Obank

But she added: “They said it must have been charging at the time and I told them it wasn’t — which seemed to surprise them as they said it was the first they’d heard anything like this.”

A Samsung spokesman said: “There are no known safety issues with Galaxy S7 devices.

“This issue is currently being investigated and our customer services team is in contact with the customer regarding the matter.”

6 Samsung Galaxy S7 before meltdown, left, and its charred shell, right, after

Q&A WHAT is causing this overheating problem? Samsung says it will investigate Sarah’s case. It could be because of dodgy batteries like some in the Note 7. But as there have been so few cases, it might be that these are one-off problems. If the handsets have been charged with dodgy leads — such as those bought in markets — they might have previously damaged the batteries so they overheat. What should I do if I have an S7 or S7 edge? Samsung says there are no known problems with the S7 and have no recall plans. That means they think these are very rare cases. But if your phone is overheating regularly contact your network. So is it a problem if I am using another charger? Tech giants always tell you to use the lead and plug in the box as they have been properly tested. Normally, it is fine if you swap them between a Samsung and a Sony or HTC. But if you buy a replacement, watch out for cheaper ones from markets, eBay or phone repair shops. Genuine ones from Currys or Carphone Warehouse will not damage your battery.