Defective battery causes stampede at Quezon City mall

MANILA, Philippines — A defective cell phone battery caused panic at a shopping mall in Cubao, Quezon City on Friday.

The incident at Farmers Plaza occurred at around 6:30 p.m., Cubao police station commander Superintendent Louise Benjie Tremor said.

Prior to the incident, Moverb Bautista, 29, went to a cell phone repair shop located at the ground floor of the mall to have his iPhone 5S’ old battery replaced.

He put the defective battery in the pocket of his pants after he bought a new one.

However, he pulled it out when he felt the battery was getting hot. He threw it on the floor after it emitted smoke.

People near Bautista panicked, thinking there was an explosion. A video aired over GMA News showed mall goers stampeding.

A teacher identified as Rowena Aquino, 40, injured her hip after she slipped on the floor. Rescuers brought her to a hospital.

Bautista was taken to the police station, where he gave a statement on the incident.

In a television interview, he said the battery did not explode, as alleged by other people in the area.

“It just emitted smoke,” Bautista said.