Samsung is one of the leading brands when it comes to mobile technology. Unfortunately, its name has also been associated to serious battery failures ever since the Galaxy Note 7 battery fires that prompted the company to recall the product altogether. Over the weekend, another Samsung phone, Galaxy J7, has reportedly caught fire during a Jet Airways flight in India. It is now being investigated if this was an isolated issue or a sign of things to come for J7 owners.
The Galaxy J7 phone was inside the bag of a passenger named Arpita Dhal in a flight from Delhi to Indore. Around 15 minutes into the flight, the passenger saw smoke coming out of her bag. Flight crew members responded to stop the smoke using fire extinguishers. However, the fire extinguisher present in the flight was malfunctioning, forcing the crew to pour water onto the bag to douse the smoke
As a precaution, the Samsung unit was placed in a tray of water for the rest of the flight, along with two other smartphones that the passenger had in her bag.
"I will complain against Jet Airways after I return home," said Dhal. "This is a question of safety of passengers in flights. If there is a major fire or blast what will they do when their fire extinguishers don't work like this."
In response, Jet Airways issued a statement saying the crew handled the situation as per guidelines. It also reported that none of the passengers nor crew members were injured as a result of the incident. No damage to the cabin was incurred. The plane landed on time at the airport in Indore.
The exact cause of the smoke coming out of the phone is still unknown, but the device is already under investigation. "At Samsung, customer safety is top priority. We are in touch with relevant authorities for more information," said a Samsung spokesperson in India.
