Apple investigates iPhone 7 fire incident in Australia

After Samsung’s recall of its Galaxy Note 7 flagship device, it is now Apple’s turn to investigate the fire risk of its smartphones after an Aussie surf instructor claimed that his iPhone 7 caught fire and set his car ablaze.

According to Mat Jones, he had left his iPhone 7 under his pants inside his car while taking a surf lesson at the south coast. After his class, Jones reportedly found his car filled with smoke and saw the molten remains of his Apple handset.

“Ash was just coming from inside the pants, which then once you wrapped open the pants, the phone was just melting inside of it,” Jones said.

He claimed that he had just bought the iPhone 7 a week before the incident and had use an Apple-provided charger.

Apple refused to disclose details of its investigation of Jones’ claims. It is also unclear if the surfer will press Apple for damages following the accident. (Read: iPhone 8: 8 specs we know so far)

Earlier, Samsung Electronics has stopped production and sale of Galaxy Note 7 devices across the globe. The South Korean smartphone maker has decided to pull out its flagship smartphone from the market due to its defective batteries. (Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is now banned on all Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia flights)

Apple released the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus on Sep. 16. Despite its initial limited availability, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have accounted for 43 percent of total iPhone sales in the United States for the third quarter ending Sep. 30.

Following Samsung’s recall of Galaxy Note 7, Apple profited from the fiasco as it reportedly sold over 200,000 iPhone 7 units in South Korea. Apple’s latest handset is expected to sell 300,000 more units by the end of October. (Read: iPhone 7 price in Australia: Virgin Mobile offers cheapest iPhone 7 postpaid deals)