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Dick Smith DVD player explodes, burns three-year-old

A Dick Smith-branded portable DVD player exploded in a car, causing serious burns to the three-year-old girl who was using it.

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A Dick Smith-branded portable DVD player exploded in a car, causing serious burns to the three-year-old girl who was using it.

(Credit: Dick Smith)

On 21 July, Heath Lyons and his daughter Ava were travelling to Rochester, Victoria, when the father noticed a burning smell, the Bendigo Advertiser reported. Thinking it was the engine, Lyons pulled over and got out — whereupon the Dick Smith 9" Portable DVD/Media Player, Catalogue number D6202, exploded in a flash, setting Ava's clothing on fire and causing thickness burns to the girl's right hand and superficial burns to her cheeks, lips, nose, eyelids and eyebrows.

The explosion originated in the battery compartment of the device, which overheated. Dick Smith has since removed the product from its catalogue and issued this recall notice (PDF), saying:

The exact cause is being investigated; however, it appears in rare cases the internal lithium-ion rechargeable battery may overheat ...Overheating batteries are a potential fire hazard.

If you have one of these players, please return it to Dick Smith as soon as possible.

Ava Lyons has been receiving treatment at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, and is recovering nicely, her mother Amber Lyons said.