Yilan county: A disposable cigarette lighter exploded in the pocket of former Luodong Township Council Speaker Ho Chien-tung in Yilan County while he was riding a scooter, prompting the county’s Fire Bureau to issue a safety warning Wednesday.
According to Focus Taiwan, the bureau explained that lighters contain butane, a high-pressure flammable liquefied gas that expands in high-temperature conditions, and that weakened plastic casing can rupture under pressure. It advised people to buy certified products and avoid placing lighters in high-temperature environments.
Ho reported that the explosion occurred Tuesday morning after he had been riding his scooter for more than 10 minutes. In a light-hearted Facebook post, he mentioned that the lighter exploded in his pocket while he was stopped at a red light. “Can you believe it?” he wrote. He jokingly noted that there might not have been much lighter fluid left, otherwise the situation could have been more dangerous for him.
The incident gained attention online after Ho’s post went viral. Some commenters suggested the incident was a sign that Ho should consider quitting smoking, while others expressed concern, describing the event as “very scary.”
