Samsung Galaxy S3 Explosion in Swiss Teenager's Pocket Leaves Her Thigh Numb

A teenager from Switzerland was left with second and third degree burns when her Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone exploded in the pocket of her trousers.

Fanny Schlatter, 18, is set to lodge a criminal complaint against Korean phone maker Samsung after she claims to have been left numb in her right thigh following the explosion.

According to French newspaper Le Matin, Schlatter, working as a painting apprentice was at her institute when she heard a sound of an explosion.

"All of a sudden I heard the sound of an explosion - like a firecracker. Then I noticed a strange chemical smell and my work trousers began to catch fire," Schaltter told the newspaper.

By the time Schlatter's boss could come and help her, the fire had reached her shoulders.

Samsung has said it will launch an investigation "to determine the exact cause" of the explosion.

The fire was immediately put out by her colleagues who doused the flames with water and the drove her to the nearest hospital.

"Luckily my hair was tied up and my sweater didn't have time to catch fire," Schlatter said.

Schlatter has taken off from work till 15 August, as she is recovering from her burn injuries.

"Once we have gotten hold of the product in question, we will conduct a thorough examination to determine the exact cause of this incident. We would like to assure our customers that we have always employed strict quality control and safety standards to ensure a safe and pleasant user experience," a spokesman for Samsung told Mail Online.

This is not the first time a case of Samsung Galaxy S3 battery explosion has been reported.

In June 2012, one Samsung Galaxy S3 user from UK had his phone burst into fire while being placed in an in-car holster. The phone was bought from UK retailer Carphone Warehouse, according to a report in The Inquirer.

"So I driving along today with my Galaxy S3 in my car mount when suddenly a white flame, sparks and a bang came out of the phone. I pulled in to look at my phone, the phone burned from the inside out. Burned through the plastic and melted my case to my phone," Dylan, the phone's owner said.

"There is no confirmation that it was a fault with the phone. It may actually have been caused by a combination of my car mount and my cars heating system," he later added.

Also, in December 2011, a Samsung Galalaxy S2 explosion in a user's trouser pocket was reported.

"He said he heard a sound, [felt] a burning sensation on his leg and as he pulled this piece of junk out of his pocket he smelled burning," BGR quoted a user as writing on xda-developers forum. "There was smoke coming out of his pocket and out of the phone," the user added.