Overview
- A Renault Sandero caught fire after a cellphone being charged inside the cabin exploded, causing the driver to lose control and the car to hit a drainage feature at kilometer 7 of Ruta E-53 on Sunday night.
- The 45-year-old female passenger suffered severe burns and was taken to the Instituto del Quemado where she remains hospitalized in reserved condition, while the 43-year-old driver was taken to the Hospital Municipal de Unquillo and is reported out of danger.
- Police and other authorities have opened an investigation to establish the exact sequence of events and to determine whether the exploding cellphone was the definitive cause of the fire.
- Conicet researcher Arnaldo Visintin and other specialists say lithium batteries can enter thermal runaway if their battery-management systems fail or if devices are charged with damaged or uncertified chargers, in hot or poorly ventilated spaces.
- Officials and experts are urging simple safety steps—use certified chargers, avoid charging in tight or hot spaces, and do not leave devices charging unattended—while the probe proceeds and hospitals continue treating the injured.