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A man could be scarred for life after his electronic cigarette exploded in his trouser pocket.

Oscar Khan has been left with burns all over his skin after the right leg of his trousers caught fire

The 46-year-old desperately tried to put out the flames before his wife managed to get him into a shower and poured cold water over him.

Mr Khan of Belgrave, Leicester shared shocking pictures of his injuries following the incident on Sunday.

Now he may have to have surgery or skin grafts to repair the terrible damage caused by the burns.

Mr Khan told Leicestershire Live: "It was horrible. I was in my house and all of a sudden I heard a sound I’d never heard before.

(Image: Will Johnston Photography/Leicester Mercury)

"I looked down and my leg was on fire," he continued. "There were literally flames on my leg.

"For the first few seconds I didn’t know what to do.

“I was patting my leg trying to put out the flames with my hands but then my wife came in and helped me get my trousers off.

“She got me into the bathroom and got me into the shower and ran cold water over my legs.

“The vape was just in my trouser pocket. I wasn’t using it in any way at the time.

“I think if this had happened when I was out of the house it would have been a lot worse.

“Also, I can’t help thinking about what would have happened if I’d been holding it or had it in my mouth at the time.”

(Image: Will Johnston Photography/Leicester Mercury)

After being rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary for treatment, he discovered that another patient had suffered a similar incident.

He added: “We went to the hospital and the nurse I saw there said she’d never dealt with anything like it before.

“But then she came back later and said another person had come in with burns on his back and it was because of a vape exploding.

“I don’t know whether or not these two incidents are related in any way.

“I just want to make people aware of what can happen with these things.

“As far as I can tell, it wasn’t the actual vape. It was the battery I think.”

There have been a number of reports of people suffering from severe burns caused by electronic cigarettes.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents offers the following advice: “Poorly made or counterfeit chargers for e-cigarettes have caused house fires.

“Only buy e-cigarettes from reputable outlets, use the correct charger for the device, follow the manufacturer's instructions and don't leave an e-cigarette charging unattended or overnight.

“As with other electrical devices like mobile phones and laptops, e-cigarettes should not be charged or used if they've been damaged – battery cells that are damaged pose a chemical and fire risk.”