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US flight evacuated after another Samsung phone fire

Samsung has recalled 2.5m units of the Galaxy Note 7 due to faulty batteries
Samsung has recalled 2.5m units of the Galaxy Note 7 due to faulty batteries

A Southwest Airlines flight in the US was evacuated after a passenger's Samsung phone reportedly began emitting smoke.

Flight 994 leaving Louisville, Kentucky was evacuated on the runway prior to takeoff after a passenger's Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - described as a replacement in Samsung's global recall of the device - apparently caught fire, the airline said.

"All customers and crew deplaned calmly and safely via the main cabin door," it said in a written statement. 

There is an ongoing global recall of the South Korean phone-maker's "phablet" due to explosions caused by faulty batteries.

The company suspended sales of the oversized device and recalled 2.5 million units worldwide last month.

2.5m phones have been recalled

Some 60% of US consumers had swapped their devices for replacements by the end of last month.

Brian Green, the owner, told tech news website The Verge that the phone was a replacement, which he picked up on 21 September.

He also provided a picture of its box, which has a black square symbol indicating that it was a replacement.

The Verge reported Mr Green had powered down the phone for takeoff, an account The New York Times confirmed through other eyewitnesses.

The heat damage from the apparent explosion was so severe that a fire official could not independently verify the model of the phone, according to ABC News.

"Until we are able to retrieve the device, we cannot confirm that this incident involves the new Note7," ABC News quoted Samsung as saying in a statement.

"We are working with the authorities and Southwest now to recover the device and confirm the cause," the company added. "Once we have examined the device we will have more information to share."

The unprecedented recall, the first involving Samsung's flagship smartphone, has struck a blow to the reputation of the South Korean electronics giant, the world's largest smartphone maker.

Meanwhile the recall could cost the firm $3bn the long run, some analysts say.

"The continued news reports about the Note 7 aren't good for Samsung, especially for its brand reputation," Park Kang-ho, an analyst at Daishin Securities Co told Bloomberg.

"If the noise continues even as phones are replaced, consumers will start raising doubts over the next Galaxy S model, so the faster Samsung settles things the better for its business."