Recharging iPhone blamed for another serious shock in China

iPhone 4 connected to a counterfeit or third-party charger leaves 30-year-old in a coma for past 10 days, according to reports from Asia.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

A shock from an iPhone being recharged is being blamed for shocking another user in China, leaving a man in a coma for the past 10 days.

Wu Jian Tong received an electric shock when he picked up an iPhone 4 while it was recharging, according to a report in Beijing Wan Bao that was translated by ZDNet. The incident, which according to Wu's sister occurred July 8 when Wu was plugging in the handset, left the 30-year-old man in a coma at a Beijing hospital.

The charger was later found to be either a counterfeit or third-party product, according to the report. The death of a 23-year-old Chinese woman last week, who was allegedly electrocuted while answering a call on her iPhone, is also believed to be linked to a third-party USB charger.

CNET has contacted Apple for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

When Wu connected the handset to the charge, he yelled out "I'm getting shocked," according to his sister.

"I then felt needle-like pains on my fingertips," she said. "The current was running from my finger, through to my arm and body, and to the foot."

Wu, who was foaming at the mouth immediately after the shock, was not breathing when he arrived at the hospital but was resuscitated by doctors. While Wu's condition stabilized within three days, he remains in a coma due to a lack of oxygen to his brain, according to his doctors.

"It was no doubt an electric shock," Wu's doctor told the news outlet.

The report comes on the heels of the death of Ma Ailun, who was allegedly killed when she answered a call on her iPhone while it was reportedly on a third-party charger. The incident, which is still being investigated by both Apple and local authorities, also involved an iPhone 4.

Third-party chargers are commonplace for electronics, and often come at a steep discount compared to the ones technology companies sell. However, when it comes to the knockoffs -- the ones designed to cosmetically look like the real thing -- consumers can't be certain of their safety.