Man believed killed by electric shock from mobile phone recharging

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Man believed killed by electric shock from mobile phone recharging

Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Police and rescue workers stand in front of Kritsada Jongrak’s rented unit in Srisoonthorn. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: Police believe that a man found dead last night (Nov 7) died from an electric shock while listening to music on his headphones while his mobile phone was still plugged into an power board for recharging.

 

Thalang Police were notified of that a man had been found dead in at a rental unit in Moo 4, Srisoonthorn, at 9:30pm.

 

Capt Kraisorn Boonprasop of Thalang Police arrived at the scene together with rescue workers to find the body of Kritsada Jongrak, 57, from Satun, lying face down on his mattress on the floor.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/man-believed-killed-by-electric-shock-from-mobile-phone-recharging-64619.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-11-07

[Guest]

Right...

 

To be able to receive 240V and at least 1amp (240W), to the headphones, requires to overcome quite a few obstacles.

 

1) The charger malfunction and short circuit from the AC240V to the DV5V

2) Total malfunction of the phone's every voltage limitation system.

   - 240 Watts can't go far before melting the circuit board to a mess

3) The tiny cables of headphones are meant to cope with milliamperes, not ampers. Just like the motherboard on the phone itself. These also would melt very fast.

With the age of 57, simple heart attack sounds more reasonable explanation. 

Was it in South Korea, where people think that a fan in the room suck all the air and can suffocate the person in the same room? Is this story any different from that?

[Just Weird]

 

 

12 minutes ago, oilinki said:

With the age of 57, simple heart attack sounds more reasonable explanation. 

Was it in South Korea, where people think that a fan in the room suck all the air and can suffocate the person in the same room? Is this story any different from that?

Yes, it is very different, there is no similarity between the two at all.

 

Does a heart attack leave burn marks on the body?

 

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Just Weird said:

 

 

Yes, it is very different, there is no similarity between the two at all.

 

Does a heart attack leave burn marks on the body?

 

 

AFAIK no. Where were the burn marks. Near his ears? Was the man insulated aka part of the circuit when he died. 

I have really hard time believing a person could be killed by an electric shock, when there is so many parts, which could have prevented it from happening. 

 

But, yes, everything is possible. It's just so unlikely, that it's worth of investigating alternative reasons. 

[Just Weird]

1 minute ago, oilinki said:

AFAIK no. Where were the burn marks. Near his ears? Was the man insulated aka part of the circuit when he died. 

I have really hard time believing a person could be killed by an electric shock, when there is so many parts, which could have prevented it from happening. 

 

But, yes, everything is possible. It's just so unlikely, that it's worth of investigating alternative reasons. 

All the information that I have you can also have just by reading the full report.

[lopburi3]

No information of where the burn marks were and added information that his body was on top of the power outlet box.  So burn could be secondary or direct cause by contact with power panel.  As usual more questions than answers in local reporting.

[trogers]

That's why I use Bluetooth earphones.

[thedemon]

I recall a similar headline not so long ago: "Man electrocuted to death by charging iphone in the bath"

 

At that time I thought the same as Oilinki. You can't be electrocuted by 5V and 1Amp so how could this happen.

 

It turns out that the guy had the charger plugged into a power board which was sitting on the edge of the bath but fell in the water.

 

This story will be similar. Nothing to do with a mobile phone or headphones.

[Lupusthai]

"Under Mr Kritsada’s body was a power board with his mobile phone plugged in and still charging...."

explains everything about the source of 240 V - no earphone-theories needed 

[JimmyJ]

[kwak250]

A nephew always buys those cheap 20 baht shop chargers and comes around with it charging and headphones in at the same time.

He often buys a new one as the chargers don't last long but I wouldn't want to even plug one in without fear of electrocution. 

Surely these little square chargers are dangerous .

[Tradewind777]

Ignore

17 hours ago, oilinki said:

Right...

 

To be able to receive 240V and at least 1amp (240W), to the headphones, requires to overcome quite a few obstacles.

 

1) The charger malfunction and short circuit from the AC240V to the DV5V

2) Total malfunction of the phone's every voltage limitation system.

   - 240 Watts can't go far before melting the circuit board to a mess

3) The tiny cables of headphones are meant to cope with milliamperes, not ampers. Just like the motherboard on the phone itself. These also would melt very fast.

With the age of 57, simple heart attack sounds more reasonable explanation. 

Was it in South Korea, where people think that a fan in the room suck all the air and can suffocate the person in the same room? Is this story any different from that?

Your comment is misleading, not backed up by physics and at best irresponsible given the topic.  Be careful what you post may give people a false sense of security in what can be a potential killer in the home!

 

The fact is that one tenth of one amp at 240volts (ie 24Watts) and not your claim of 240Watts is sufficient power to potentially kill some persons if the conditions are right. At one third of an amp at this voltage it’s curtains. Furthermore I don’t know where  you got your electronics knowledge from but it’s not correct.

 

Under the right circumstances these cheap chargers can pose a risk to you. Don’t believe posters who don’t have the right qualifications!

 

 

References:

 

https://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~p616/safety/fatal_current.html

 

https://sciencebasedlife.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/how-much-voltage-can-you-take-on-before-you-die/

 

https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/JackHsu.shtml

[dieseldave1951]

18 hours ago, Just Weird said:

 

 

Yes, it is very different, there is no similarity between the two at all.

 

Does a heart attack leave burn marks on the body?

 

 

where does it say there were burn marks on the body ??

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, dieseldave1951 said:

where does it say there were burn marks on the body ??

In the original article - but it also does not mention where on body and does say he was found lying on top of a power panel so could have been caused when body fell on it if that is the area of burns.  Usual poor reporting.

[madmitch]

Remember, this is the Thai police that have come up with this theory; not exactly the world's greatest experts in the field of pathology.

 

[lopburi3]

5 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Remember, this is the Thai police that have come up with this theory; not exactly the world's greatest experts in the field of pathology.

 

Actually the only police quote in article appears to be this:

“At this stage we believe that Mr Kritsada died of an electrical shock,” 
 

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, dieseldave1951 said:

where does it say there were burn marks on the body ??

Read the OP.

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

Remember, this is the Thai police that have come up with this theory; not exactly the world's greatest experts in the field of pathology.

 

You find that no police officers, anywhere, are "the worlds greatest experts in the field of pathology", your assertion does not reflect badly on a Thai police specifically. 

 

Remember, when starting a RTP-bash, what the police actually said in this case...

“At this stage we believe that Mr Kritsada died of an electrical shock,” Capt Kraisorn noted. However, we have yet to conclude our investigation and we have had Mr Kritsada’s body taken to Thalang Hospital for further examination”.

 

What that means is the police "have not come up with this theory", neither are they making any claims about their forensic pathology ability, they are simply expressing an opinion based on obvious circumstances, more than likely in response to reporters' questions and are leaving the official answer to someone who will be in a position to make an official decision.

 

Edited November 9, 2017 by Just Weird

[maxpower]

21 hours ago, oilinki said:

Right...

 

To be able to receive 240V and at least 1amp (240W), to the headphones, requires to overcome quite a few obstacles.

 

1) The charger malfunction and short circuit from the AC240V to the DV5V

2) Total malfunction of the phone's every voltage limitation system.

   - 240 Watts can't go far before melting the circuit board to a mess

3) The tiny cables of headphones are meant to cope with milliamperes, not ampers. Just like the motherboard on the phone itself. These also would melt very fast.

With the age of 57, simple heart attack sounds more reasonable explanation. 

Was it in South Korea, where people think that a fan in the room suck all the air and can suffocate the person in the same room? Is this story any different from that?

The information in your post is incorrect and misleading.

 

The circuit designs of many cheap Chinese made phone chargers provide below standard isolation between their mains supply input and low voltage output. A failure can quite easily connect the live side of a 220V supply to the charging port ground and lift anything connected to the device ground path up to a dangerous potential.

There are thousands of poor quality chargers in use that are already passing or about to pass dangerous supply voltages to charging ports. If lucky, the user will feel a slight tingle on metallic components or receive non lethal shock. 

Top brand compact chargers have very little space on their circuit boards for isolation and therefore rely on good quality manufature to meet standards. Cheap Chinese copies of these chargers almost always fail safety tests. 

[farcanell]

Surely everyone here has seen sparks flying out of adaptor boards, at one stage or another... I find it more likely that if electrocuted, it was as a result of contact with the adaptor board itself

 

how he managed to be lying on top of it, is anyone’s guess.

 

but.... ya never know, so to be on the safe side, I suppose we should all avoid playing with things that are connected to the mains, wherever possible.

 

sidenote.... my circuit breakers never seem to activate either, burning out appliances instead (I have fire extinguishers everywhere... visitors laugh at me for it!)... and my stove bites, despite having paid good money for it to be rewired and tested by an “electrician”.... is ok.. is ok... no ploblem. 

 

Just another reason to eat out, right?.... but then, as I commented on yesterday’s electruction death ???... I was recently zapped by faulty lighting wrapped around a handrail at a local bar / restaurant.

 

you can run, but you can’t hide!

Edited November 9, 2017 by farcanell

[Guest]

1 hour ago, maxpower said:

The information in your post is incorrect and misleading.

 

The circuit designs of many cheap Chinese made phone chargers provide below standard isolation between their mains supply input and low voltage output. A failure can quite easily connect the live side of a 220V supply to the charging port ground and lift anything connected to the device ground path up to a dangerous potential.

There are thousands of poor quality chargers in use that are already passing or about to pass dangerous supply voltages to charging ports. If lucky, the user will feel a slight tingle on metallic components or receive non lethal shock. 

Top brand compact chargers have very little space on their circuit boards for isolation and therefore rely on good quality manufature to meet standards. Cheap Chinese copies of these chargers almost always fail safety tests. 

Well, what can I say? We have people who think being electrocuted via headphones when phone is charging, is a real danger and we have people who doesn't believe it's a reasonable fear for ones life.

 

If you would have said that el-cheapo chargers are potential fire hazards, I would would agree. 

 

But to kill a person with AC->USB-charger->Phone->Headphones is a quite long stretch. 

 

As I said earlier, everything is possible. It's just rather unlikely to happen. At least I would not be afraid to listen podcasts when my phone is charging by a cheap charger. I guess we all evaluate risks in our own ways.

[Nemesis7]

RIP

[maxpower]

22 hours ago, oilinki said:

Well, what can I say? We have people who think being electrocuted via headphones when phone is charging, is a real danger and we have people who doesn't believe it's a reasonable fear for ones life.

 

If you would have said that el-cheapo chargers are potential fire hazards, I would would agree. 

 

But to kill a person with AC->USB-charger->Phone->Headphones is a quite long stretch. 

 

As I said earlier, everything is possible. It's just rather unlikely to happen. At least I would not be afraid to listen podcasts when my phone is charging by a cheap charger. I guess we all evaluate risks in our own ways.

Yes its a really long stretch. Guess sometimes you just cant fix stupid or those that play along.

 

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/warning-over-usb-chargers-after-woman-dies-from-apparent-electrocution-20140626-zsngd.html