LITHIUM ION BATTERY PHONE BLAST 

Thirty injured in explosion at Jewish celebration in London as mobile phone lithium ion battery sparks fireball

Hundreds gathered in Stamford Hill, London for Lag BaOmer - where handsets were tossed into bonfires 'as a warning against the evil of smartphones'

UP to 30 people have been injured after an explosion during a Jewish celebration - with witnesses claiming it was sparked by mobile phones being thrown to the flames.

Hundreds had gathered in Stamford Hill, London for Lag BaOmer - an annual event that incorporates bonfires - when it went horribly wrong.

 Shocking video shows a bonfire exploding at a Jewish celebration in east London, injuring 30 people
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Shocking video shows a bonfire exploding at a Jewish celebration in east London, injuring 30 people

Dramatic footage shows a fire about to be lit, as revellers sing in the background just metres away last night.

Suddenly there is a massive explosion as flames erupt over the entire crowd, with people running for their lives.

London Ambulance Service and the Jewish volunteer ambulance service Hatzola attended at around 11pm.

Both said they treated "multiple patients" for burns.

 London Ambulance Service and the Jewish volunteer ambulance service Hatzola attended
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London Ambulance Service and the Jewish volunteer ambulance service Hatzola attended

Around ten people are believed to have been hurt by the flames, with a further 20 people injured in the scramble to get away, according to Jewish news website Yeshiva World.

Hackney Police this morning confirmed ten people have suffered minor injuries after the large fire was lit at Stamford Hill.


Were YOU at the Lag BaOmer celebrations in Stamford Hill, last night? Email: alex.matthews@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368


They added no criminal allegations had been reported, with no serious injuries.

The condition of the patients was not immediately clear last night.

 Suddenly the bonfire explodes, and flames could be seen spreading over a crowd of people
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Suddenly the bonfire explodes, and flames could be seen spreading over a crowd of people
 The condition of the patients was not immediately clear last night
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The condition of the patients was not immediately clear last night
 Some witnesses claim mobile phones were thrown into the raging bonfire before the blast
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Some witnesses claim mobile phones were thrown into the raging bonfire before the blast

Several witnesses claim the explosion came after mobile phones were thrown into the fire, but these reports are unconfirmed.

Some even said the rabbi - a leader of the Chassidic Jewish movement - had chucked a phone into the blaze in a warning against the evil of smartphones.