Burning iPhones: Brussels asks Apple to explain itself

Following several incidents that have taken place in the past few weeks, the European Commission has asked Apple to explain itself.

A Commission spokesman said that Apple had suggested that the iPods and iPhones that had exploded were considered as ''isolated'' accidents, and by no means a more general problem.

Apple has also said that it would do everything it could to find out ''more information and specific details'' about these problems.

For its part, Brussels has asked member states to ''keep it informed of any developments, using the Rapex alert system.''  This system makes it easy for the authorities to halt the distribution of products which pose health risks for consumers, and to prevent them from being sold.