New Delhi: Charging your phone or electronic devices while you sleep especially when they’re kept on beds, pillows, or soft surfaces has repeatedly triggered life‑threatening fires and severe injuries.
A chilling incident in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh in March 2024 claimed four young children’s lives. Their bed mattress ignited due to a short circuit caused by a mobile charger while they slept. The parents, injured trying to save them, remain hospitalized. In Telangana, a 23‑year‑old man electrocuted himself by accidentally touching an exposed wire beside his bed while charging his phone .
In Punjab’s Ludhiana a woman has recently suffered 90 percent of burn injury after a mobile phone sparks a bed fire.
Stern warnings globally
Globally, authorities have echoed stern warnings. Dublin Fire Brigade shared graphic photos of burned chargers and thumbed electrical outlets, advising against overnight charging and urging users never to leave phones on beds. The Kent Fire and Rescue Service in the UK has called charging while asleep a “disaster waiting to happen,” noting that smoke inhalation can render a person unconscious in seconds even before the fire becomes visible.
Lithium-ion batteries can overheat
Lithium-ion batteries can overheat, especially with uncertified or damaged chargers, triggering rapid thermal runaway on flammable surfaces. In one case a year-old Redmi Note 7 phone erupted in flames within minutes during charging, forcing the user to throw it aside. Another Reddit user in India shared how a power bank burst into flames hours after charging, damaging their monitor and desk.
These incidents highlight a crucial point: when charging devices remain close and unattended overnight, any malfunction can escalate into tragedy. Fires spread rapidly in bedrooms, smoke fills rooms quickly, and victims may not even wake up in time.
Public safety officials across India and abroad urge:
- Always place charging devices on hard, non-flammable surfaces.
- Never keep devices or chargers on your bed or pillow while sleeping.
- Use only certified chargers, unplug devices once fully charged, and inspect them regularly.
- Install working smoke detectors in bedrooms.
A simple charging habit can have devastating consequences but equally simple precautions can save lives.
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