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Siblings Run For Their Lives As Hoverboard Suddenly Explodes

Siblings Run For Their Lives As Hoverboard Suddenly Explodes

A little boy is forced to flee when his hoverboard bursts into a ball of flames in his home

Rachael Grealish

Rachael Grealish

Two youngsters narrowly manage to escape as a hoverboard suddenly exploded in their home.

The pair had a near-miss during the terrifying moment, caught on video at the kids' home in China.

Stomach-turning video footage of the incident shows a little boy innocently riding his board in the living room when it suddenly starts expelling dark smoke.

The little boy makes a quick escape, jumping off the toy as it bursts horrifically into flames.

This all happens right in front of the boy's sister, sitting only inches away from the fireball.

Newsflare

After the dramatic blast, the probably-terrified little girl is seen jumping off her chair and running from the scene after her brother manages to escape into a room nearby.

According to Liberty Times Net, the event took place the young children's home in Hefei city, Anhui province, earlier in the month.

The report also states both children were left unhurt by the incident - but undoubtedly shaken up and not keen on jumping back on the board any time soon.

Newsflare

A damaged rechargeable lithium battery is reported to be the cause of the explosion.

The self-balancing scooters referred to as 'hoverboards' - even though they don't actually hover - have been a trendy gift for youngsters since hitting the shelves a few years ago.

However, this isn't the first reported case of a self-balancing scooter going up in smoke.

One exploding two-wheeler burned down a house in Louisiana, back in 2015 and at a mall in Washington shoppers were forced to evacuate because one went up in flames.

The big problem has to do with the quality of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries inside the devices.

They're almost always tucked in one of the foot rests, and they work the same way as the lithium-ion batteries in our smartphones, tablets, and laptops - they're just a lot more prone to defects.

This is because some brands have decided to go for cheaper components, including the lithium-ion batteries, in order to flog the products for a lower price.

Featured Image Credit: Newsflare

Topics: World News, China