Need yet another reason not to vape? A nightclub owner in Toulouse, France, was sent to the hospital with severe burns after a spare battery for his e-cig suddenly exploded in his jacket pocket, spraying fire and sparks while melting part of his coat to his finger as he attempted to remove it.

As a result of the explosion, Amine Britel, who purchased the Chinese-made battery from a local shop, will have to undergo weeks of treatment for the severe burns he suffered on the side of his abdomen and fingers. It’s not yet known why exactly the battery exploded, but Amine suspects it was because the device had come into contact with loose change in his pocket, possibly causing it to short out.


The incident, caught on tape by the security cameras installed outside Britel’s nightclub, reveals the incident could have been a lot worse. Amine credits the cotton t-shirt he was wearing beneath the jacket with helping prevent the fire from spreading, and was thankful he was not wearing something made from synthetic fibers that would have also quickly melted to his skin.

Amine was also lucky the battery wasn’t in his jeans pocket, which would have made it harder to remove as quickly, and would have led to ever worse burns when it exploded.


[Daily Mail via Ubergizmo]