Apple is investigating what caused an iPad Air to “explode” in an Australian Vodafone store, prompting a store evacuation, a spokesman from the Vodafone said today.
A display model of the iPad Air caught on fire while the tablet was attached to the iPad charging port, Vodafone Australia spokesman Geeke van der Sluis said in an email.
The Canberra Vodafone store filled with smoke as sparks continued to appear from the charging port after the initial explosion, prompting a call to the fire brigade and a store evacuation. No one was injured.
The incident happened on 30 October, van der Sluis said, two days before the device was made available for in-store and online purchase in Australia.
In photos posted online by Daily Mail, the iPad Air’s Retina screen appears warped and singed from the flames.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
