New York woman’s Galaxy Note 9 bursts into flames, files lawsuit against Samsung: Report

New York resident Diane Chung has filed lawsuit against Samsung after her Galaxy Note 9 caught fire, seeking a ban on the phone's sales, a report said. The Korean smartphone company, however, said that it had not received any reports of such incidents and was probing the matter.

Chung, a real estate agent in Long Island, claimed in her lawsuit that she was using Galaxy Note 9 in the elevator when the phone became "extremely hot", reported the New York Post She said she stopped using it and kept in her purse but soon heard "a whistling and screeching sound" and "thick smoke" coming out.

She kept the purse on the elevator floor and tried to take the phone out, but burned her fingers as it was very hot. She said that the experience was "traumatic" and alleged that the Samsung phone was "defective." Chung has now sought ban on the sales of Galaxy Note 9 in the US, according to her lawsuit filed in the Queens Supreme Court.

"We have not received any reports of similar incidents involving a Galaxy Note 9 device and we are investigating the matter," a Samsung spokesman was quoted as saying, the New York Post said.

Another senior Samsung official Kate Beaumon had said that the latest Note 9 uses a newer cooling system for better heat dissipation. "We've instituted a water-based carbon cooling system that is unique to Samsung, in addition to the eight-step battery safety check we created," Beaumont said.

Earlier, Samsung faced problem with its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone which faced similar battery issues. After numerous reports of overheating and explosions, Samsung was forced to recall all the units and end the production of the model altogether.