Many pagers held by members of terrorist organization Hezbollah exploded in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, September 17. The incident has killed eight people, including a girl, and wounded over 2,700 people according to the Iranian government and Hezbollah officials, as reported by the Associated Press. Alleged video footage of the pagers exploding have circulated on social media. Here’s what Hezbollah says caused the pagers to explode at the same time.
Why did Hezbollah pagers explode throughout Lebanon?
The pager explosions that occurred in Lebanon were due to lithium-ion batteries, according to a Hezbollah official that spoke to the AP anonymously. The official says that Israel is behind the “security incident,” while CNN reports that Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the attack represents “criminal Israeli aggression.”
Explosions caused by lithium batteries have risen over the past decade, in part because they are widely used in many consumer products for their battery life, low weight, and charging ability. However, when overheated, lithium batteries can melt, create smoke, and catch fires that can burn up to 1,110 degrees Fahrenheit.
As noted by CNN, these batteries were the cause behind a five-alarm fire in New York City that injured seven people. In 2022, the New York Fire Department responded to over 200 e-scooter and e-bike fires.
Samsung issued a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 in 2016 due to issues with the devices catching fire or exploding. The company was forced to offer replacements to the 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 phones that were in circulation at the time. Due to the heightened risk, the Federal Aviation Administration banned uninstalled lithium batteries from being checked in luggage in 2020.
On the main reasons for lithium batteries is thermal runway, a phenomenon that occurs when it enters a self-heating state. This can result in high temperatures, smoke, and fire. According to UL Research Institutes, thermal runaway can be caused by an internal failure or external conditions, like the battery being overcharged or a short circuit.
