Teenager electrocuted to death by iPhone charging cable

A teenage girl from Vietnam has died after live wires in a faulty charging cable connected to her Apple iPhone allegedly electrocuted her as she slept.

Le Thi Xoan, 14, from the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, was rushed to hospital after being found unconscious by her parents, The Sun reported Wednesday (15 November).

Multiple local media reports indicate that the incident occurred on 12 November.

An image showing the charger, reportedly inserted into an iPhone 6, was seized by police in the Hoan Kiem district and showed a wire wrapped in transparent tape.

Reports said the teenager was known to charge her smartphone next to her bed, but it remains unknown if the cable linked to the incident was an official version.

In one image of the cable posted online, it appeared to be shorter than Apple's legitimate charging product.

It was found by investigators with a slight tear in the rubber, and the current theory is that wires on the inside were to blame. Medics have confirmed cause of death was electrocution.

According to The Sun newspaper, officers now probing the case believe Le Thi Xoan likely rolled over and onto the exposed wires in her sleep.

Additionally, police said the fact that tape was used on the cable suggested there had been previous issues with the cord. Apple has not yet commented on the tragic incident.

Last year, a woman in Malaysia was killed on her birthday after a phone plugged into a wall socket electrocuted her. Back in 2013, a Thai man died after falling asleep holding an iPhone 4S connected to a third-party cable. He was found with burn marks and still clutching the device.