One day after thousands of pagers exploded across Lebanon, more explosions of handheld devices, including uhf handheld 2 way radio, mobile phones, laptops and even solar power cells, have killed at least 26 people and injured more than 3000.
Reports on Wednesday of several blasts quickly spread on messaging apps with people sharing images of exploded walkie-talkies and residential buildings on fire.
Japan's Icom Inc., whose brand appears on
long range walkie-talkie that exploded in Lebanon, said it halted production a decade ago of the model allegedly used in the attacks and is still investigating the situation.
Icom exported its IC-V82 2 way radios to regions including the Middle East until October 2014, when it stopped making and selling the devices, the Osaka-based company said in a statement Thursday. It has also halted production of the batteries needed to operate the main unit, it said.
Among the many outstanding questions is how explosive materials were planted in the devices. If the Icom walkie-talkies were first manufactured a decade ago, it’s possible they were modified well after sale to their original customers. The company can’t determine if the products are their own, it said.
The company said all its radios are manufactured at a factory in Wakayama Prefecture, adding that it follows safety protocols outlined by government regulations and does not outsource production overseas.
Given that photographs of the devices show severe damage around the battery compartment, the batteries may have been modified with explosives after procurement, Icom director Yoshiki Enomoto was quoted as saying in a Kyodo report.
The detonations of everyday electronics may herald a new type of terrorism, according to Mitsuru Fukuda, professor of risk management at Nihon University. "This may increase pressure on companies to expand risk oversight of their supply chains” to include distribution and delivery, he said.
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