An Apple store in Amsterdam’s Leidseplein square was briefly evacuated after an explosion believed to be the result of an overheating iPad battery.
The fire was quickly put out by Apple staff who put the device in a container with sand, firefighters were called, and the store was evacuated as a precautionary measure. However, three people who were present during the incident had to be treated for respiratory issues, according to local media.
Brandweer aanwezig bij incident met mobiel apparaat bij de #AppleStore #Leidseplein. Geen rook, wel drie personen met ademhalingsproblemen. Vermoedelijk door een lekkende accupack. Zij worden ter plaatse nagekeken.
— Brandweer AA (@BrandweerAA) August 19, 2018
Drie mensen onwel door geëxplodeerde iPad in Apple Store https://t.co/Jn3EkAtE6Y pic.twitter.com/35L7FE1Yi6
— AT5 (@AT5) August 19, 2018
Flinke chaos en paniek na ontruiming Apple Store Leidseplein #Amsterdam Noord-Holland Ongeval https://t.co/4dLjLzEMlx pic.twitter.com/CuDC2e8Sdt
— AS Media (@asmedianl) August 19, 2018
As 9to5Mac noted, apparently unrelated issues with iPhone batteries have resulted in “thermal events” in both Switzerland and Spain this year, with the incident in Zurich resulting in one person suffering minor burns and six others receiving treatment for what was likely smoke inhalation.
Apple, like most major manufacturers, uses generally not been at the top of the list.
While no one appears to have been seriously injured in the Amsterdam incident, much more serious safety issues have been reported for years at Apple’s Chinese suppliers like Foxconn, including explosions, fires, and chemical exposure. Per the New York Times and Business Insider, abusive and gruelling labour practices at facilities owned by Foxconn, which also manufactures devices for other major companies like Amazon, have been reported to continue through this year.