The shop worker from Guangzhiu, China, died moments after he put a new battery in his phone, it has been claimed.

It was believed that he may have just finished charging the battery and had put the phone in his breast pocket when it exploded.

China's daily Shin Min Daily News said the accident happened on Friday, Jan 30, at 7.30pm. An employee at the shop told local media that she heard a loud bang and saw her colleague lying on the floor of the shop in a pool of blood. The employee said the victim had recently changed the battery in his mobile phone.

Police are investigating what caused the explosion and whether the phone was counterfeit.

The make and model of the phone are not thought to be known.

Local reports said that this was the ninth recorded cellphone explosion in China since 2002.

The Shin Min daily News published advice for consumers on how to avoid being hurt by exploding mobile phones, following the latest incident.

Some of the tips were:

• Always use original batteries.

• Do not expose your mobile phone to high temperatures, and avoid exposing it to direct sunlight.

• Avoid long phone conversations.