Samsung phone battery catches fire, injures man

Samsung's Galaxy Note / Samsung

South Korean fire officials say a man suffered burns after the battery from a Samsung smartphone caught fire in his trouser pocket.

Officials at Bupyeong Fire Station in Incheon city said Wednesday the lithium-ion battery was not in the phone when it caught fire. Such batteries are quick to charge but prone to overheating.

The man suffered second-degree burns and a one inch wound on his thigh from Saturday's incident. Officials declined to identify the man.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported the battery from the 2011 Galaxy Note exploded but fire officials couldn't confirm that. It may not be the first time a Samsung phone allegedly burned through trouser pockets. According to the newspaper, a boy suffered similar injuries last March.

Samsung did not immediately respond to CBS News' request for comment, but Chosun Ilbo says a spokesperson for the company told the newspaper: "Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire due to external pressure or sudden changes in temperature, so we're trying to understand what really happened.

Lithium-ion batteries are behind the worldwide grounding of Boeing 787s.

[mel_snyder-2009]

If the battery wasn't in the phone when it caught fire, chances are, it shorted on something metal in his pocket, like coins or keys or ?

As an Apple investor and avid fan, I'd like to believe it was the result of some defect like the one that grounded the 787. But it's much more likely just a careless user.

[Scimajor]

Would that make the phone a Hot Pocket?