Woken up by exploding headphones

AUSTRALIA – Australian authorities have warned about the dangers of using battery-powered devices on flights after a woman’s headphones caught fire.

The woman was dozing on a flight from Beijing to Melbourne when she was woken by the sound of an explosion while she listened to music.

She tore the headphones off to find them sparking, catching fire and beginning to melt. The passenger was left with a blackened face and blisters on her hands.

Members of the flight crew rushed to help and eventually put out the fire by pouring a bucket of water on the headphones.

“For the remainder of the flight, passengers endured the smell of melted plastic, burnt electronics and burnt hair,” the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a report. - BBC