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A young man who claims an e-cigarette exploded in his mouth is recovering from agonising injuries.

Factory worker Ryan Bailey, 22, suffered burns to his lips and a hand, plus damage to his teeth, after his Knight Mod e-cig allegedly blew up while he was smoking it.

His carpet was set on fire, he was rushed to hospital and he has had four emergency operations on his left hand, including a skin graft.

He said today: “I am just lucky to still be here. The doctors said that if the explosion had not hit my teeth, it would have gone down my throat and killed me.”

Ryan’s ordeal follows reports of at least 100 exploding e-cigarettes. Some 2.6 million Britons now use them and they are set to be offered on prescription by GPs.

Ryan, of Telford, Shopshire, is facing a fifth operation to repair the damage fully. He will also have ­extensive dental work.

He told the Sunday People: “The whole thing has been terrible and it isn’t over yet.”

The trauma happened at home at midday on Wednesday, January 20.

“It suddenly blew up in my mouth,” said Ryan. “There was no warning. My sister was screaming and crying and rang for an ­ambulance."

"I couldn’t feel any pain at first because of the adrenaline so I didn’t know how bad it was. I put out the fire on the carpet then I looked down at my hand and then in the mirror. I couldn’t believe it.

“My face was black where it had blown up and my hand had swollen to twice its size. It was like having had a stick of dynamite explode in my hand.”

Last month there were reports of how dad-of-two Kevin Woodward suffered horrific burns to his face and arms when an Eleaf iStick e-cigarette, which he had left on charge overnight, erupted at 4.30am while he was sleeping.

Mr Woodward, 30, said it felt as if someone had held a “blow torch” to his face.

His three-year-old son Taylor had got out of the bed in Northwich, Cheshire, two hours earlier – possibly ­saving his life.

Last year a series of fires caused by ­exploding e-cigarette chargers prompted a nationwide safety alert in Britain.

The Local Government Association, representing fire services, urged e-cigarette manufacturers to display warnings on packaging after more than 100 blazes over the past two years were linked to the devices.

Exploding e-cigarettes have triggered three major lawsuits in the US after victims ­had multiple severe burns and lost body parts.

Former LA Galaxy ­footballer Daniel Califf, 35, ended up with a broken cheekbone, concussion, a hole in his cheek and ­burns across his face, ear and neck after his e-cigarette battery exploded.

Vince Garza, 23, talks with a lisp after his tongue was left mangled when his device blew up. His index finger had to be amputated at the knuckle because it was so badly damaged.

Gregory Phillips had severe second-degree burns across a leg and needed two skin graft operations after his e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket as he left an e-cigarette shop.

Call for action


E-cigarette manufacturers should display prominent safety warnings on all kits and chargers, says the Local Government Association.

They say firefighters are now being called to e-cigarette-related incidents every week.

The LGA’s Jeremy Hilton said: “We urge manufacturers to ­introduce clear, prominent and graphic new warnings spelling out the dangers of using incompatible chargers with e-cigarette batteries.

“We are warning e-cigarette ­users that it is simply not worth risking their lives to save a few pounds by buying dodgy, dangerous or incompatible chargers.”