This year saw a sudden influx of reports about smartphones heating up or batteries exploding. Now a frayed iPhone charger appears to have caused the death of a 14-year-old girl in Vietnam. Immediate reports do point to electrocution as the cause of death, but investigations are on, and Apple is yet to respond to the matter.
The deceased, Le Thi Xoan, hailed from the Hoan Kiem district of the capital city Hanoi in Vietnam. The 14-year-old was found unconscious in her room by her parents after, and soon after she was rushed to a nearby hospital. However, she couldn’t be revived by the doctors. After examination, the doctors declared that she had died due to electrocution, Yahoo News UK reports. Police officials upon investigating the matter suspect that it could have been her iPhone’s frayed charger that might have electrocuted her.
The victim was known to plug her Apple iPhone 6, and keep it on her bed for charging every night. It appears that she might have followed the same routine that night, and may have touched the exposed wires while the iPhone was charging. According to the image provided, the iPhone charger cable is seen with the edges near the connector frayed. A transparent tape is also visible which she must have used to cover the exposed wires. 
It isn’t known yet if the iPhone charger used is indeed Apple’s or whether it was bought from a third-party seller. The report further states that this iPhone charger is smaller than the original 20-inch cable that Apple provides. However, Apple’s chargers are known to fray quite easily, and that too within a relatively short time of usage. Nevertheless, this case yet again proves the dangers of using damaged chargers, and also charging your smartphones at night.