Samsung’s reputation took a huge blow after the worldwide recall of their fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, but their troubles with spontaneously combustible devices continued further with… exploding washing machines.
Still dealing with the backlash of their failed flagship phone, the South Korean tech giant had no choice but recall nearly 3 million washing machines after reports emerged that they’ve been violently blowing up. Apparently, the lids pop off while the laundry is spinning, with one case allegedly having caused a broken jaw.
Closer to home, a Samsung washing machine has been causing more than damage than a broken jaw. Around noon yesterday, a mother and her daughter had to flee their home after their washing machine caught on fire.
According to Shin Min Daily News, Singapore Civil Defence Force firefighters were alerted to the incident at Block 469 along Segar Road to extinguish the blaze in the unit’s kitchen toilet. A 42-year-old woman had been doing laundry that morning and left the washer for less than 10 minutes before she smelled something burning. She found the washing machine engulfed in flames and smoke.
The blaze however left even more damage, burning up the toilet walls, ceiling and air-conditioning pipes.
The model of the Samsung washing machine is unclear, but the family had bought it four years ago. It is possible that their appliance is one of the many that Samsung is recalling — regulators in the United States have warned owners of “safety issues” for models made between March 2011 and April 2016.
Samsung however thinks that this incident is unrelated to the recall in the United States, as they confirmed to WIRED that the issue “does not impact top-load washer models sold outside of North America.”
Samsung Electronics Singapore is reaching out to the affected user to “look into the matter and provide the necessary support”.
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