Report: CEO Killed After Phone Explodes While Charging

A Malaysian CEO was killed after his mobile phone allegedly exploded while charging, according to a report.

Nazrin Hassan, the CEO of Malaysian firm Cradle Fund, reportedly “died after one of his phones exploded while charging.”

“Hassan was using BlackBerry and Huawei smartphones. Both the smartphones were kept on charging in Hassan’s bedroom. The explosion led to a fire on the mattress in the room and the impact was so devastating that it was difficult to identify as to which of the two smartphones actually exploded due to overheating,” Gadgets Now reported. “Incidentally, according to Hassan’s brother-in-law the death was apparently not caused by the fire. The relative said on social media that when one of the smartphones exploded, the broken parts of it hit Hassan on the back of the head which likely caused ‘blunt trauma’. After this, the explosion led to a fire in the bedroom, but by then Hassan is said to have been already dead.”
Hassan’s death was announced by his company on Twitter last week.

It is with great sadness that we announce Nazrin Hassan, Group CEO of Cradle has passed away today. We would appreciate that privacy be accorded to his next of kin during this trying time. We will update details about his funeral arrangements once details are available.

— Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (@cradlefundsb) June 14, 2018

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department, however, claimed it was too early to suggest Nazrin was killed by an exploding phone.

“The statement that the cause of fire was from a exploding handphone that was charged next to him was made by the family, not us. It is still premature to establish anything yet,” the department expressed. “So far we are yet to rule out any other elements till the lab results are out.”

In a statement, Cradle Fund COO Razif Aziz declared, “Cradle has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Nazrin have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor.”

Cradle Fund Chief Investment Officer Juliana Jan also commented on his death, adding, “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this news. Having worked with him for many years, his vision and passion have brought endless possibilities to not just Cradle, but to the start-up ecosystem.”

“He touched and inspired us, the Cradle family, along with many startup founders, investors and partners. He was one-of-a-kind leader and visionary who made an incredible mark in the start-up ecosystem,” Jan continued. “Our thoughts and prayers for his wife and children.”

In their own statement, the company claimed Nazrin’s “greatest love was for his wife and children,” and concluded, “Speculation on the cause of his death is completely unnecessary and unacceptable at this time. We request for everyone to respect the privacy of the family during this time of grief. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those he touched on his journey.”