A pregnant woman has died after charging her phone in the bath.
The woman, who was eight and a half months pregnant at the time, was in the bath on New Year’s Eve when she was electrocuted.
It is believed that the phone charging “in the immediate vicinity” of the bath caused the accident.
The Local has reported that the French woman’s husband broke down the bathroom door when he could not get in.
The woman suffered a cardiac arrest and emergency services were unable to resuscitate her.
Her unborn baby also died as a result of the incident.
The woman’s husband was transported to hospital to receive treatment for shock.
The incident took place near Grenoble in south-east France.
UK charity Electrical Safety First have in the past warned about the dangers of plugging electronics in in bathrooms.
Product safety manager Steve Curtler told the BBC that using an electronic not connected to a mains supply would not cause electrocution, but charging a device increases the risk of harm.
He said:
“Although the cable that is plugged into your phone is 5V, somewhere along the line it’s plugged into the electricity supply and you’re reliant on that cable and a transformer to make sure you don’t get into contact with the main voltage.
“You’re wet, which conducts electricity a lot better; you’re in the bath with no clothes on, so skin resistance is less. You’re vulnerable in the bathroom.”
