After Seoul, South Korea-based Samsung announced a recall of its latest Galaxy Note 7 cell phones in September, various reports indicate that at least five individuals have suffered injuries and subsequent hospitalizations as a result of contact with the company-issued replacement phones, which allegedly catch fire.
According to a recent CBS-WKYT news report, Michael Klering and his wife claimed to have been woken up by a hissing sound in their bedroom on Oct. 4. Upon investigation, Mr. Klering discovered that his unplugged cell phone had caught fire, filling the room with smoke. Mr. Klering said he was admitted to Nicholasville-based KentuckyOne Health - St. Joseph Jessamine hospital that day and was diagnosed with acute bronchitis due to smoke inhalation, according to the article.
Earlier this month, a Southwest Airlines flight headed to Baltimore was evacuated after a passenger's phone caught on fire. Investigators later determined the cell phone was a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, according to an article in the New York Times.
Following the incident, representatives from the four leading U.S. wireless cell phone carriers said customers would be able to return the replacement phones issued by the company if they had concerns, according to the NYT.
The electronics retailer released a statement on the website after Mr. Klering's case came to light. The statement claimed that the company "take[s] every report seriously…[and that] customer safety remains [the company's] highest priority" as company officials continue investigating the matter.
According to the Seattle Times, Samsung reportedly halted production of the Note 7 smartphones Oct. 10 and issued a worldwide recall. There are currently at least five incidents under investigation in the U.S., according to the article.
Samsung reportedly ended production of its Galaxy Note 7 cellphones on Oct. 11, according to Forbes.
This story was updated at 3 p.m. on Oct. 11.