Urgent recall for smartphone accessory sold on Amazon due to fire and burn hazards

An urgent recall has been issued for a portable battery sold on Amazon after consumers reported it was 'expanding, igniting, melting, overheating or smoking.' A portable external battery for mobile phones, the Charmast sold on Amazon, has been recalled after 44 cases of the device 'expanding, igniting, melting, overheating or smoking' In four cases, this exploding power bank, a Charmast model W1056, even directly injured customers — causing 'burns or blisters,' according to the recall notice posted by the US CPSC. 'They were sold in black, blue, green, mint, pink and white colors,' the CPSC recall said Anyone who has purchased one of the recalled Charmast devices, according to the US CPSC recall notice, can call the company collect at 929-636-0293 Monday through Friday, from 10 am to 3 pm Eastern to request their refund. Nationwide, there were 445 lithium-ion battery fires, 214 injuries, and 38 deaths in 2023, according to a report by the global private safety company UL Solutions' Fire Safety Research Institute. One 2021 investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency found that lithium-ion battery fires in waste management facilities have cause 245 separate fires across 28 states, leading to entire buildings burning down in some cases.