Apple to investigate death of iPhone 5 user

A Chinese woman has reportedly died after answering a call when the smartphone was still charging.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Apple will investigate the cause of a Chinese woman's death, the company confirmed to Reuters on Monday.

Last week, a 23-year-old woman, Ma Ailun, was allegedly electrocuted to death when she answered a call on her iPhone 5. When she answered the call, the iPhone was charging, according to China-based news outlet, Xinhua news agency.

Speaking to Reuters in an e-mailed statement on Monday, an Apple spokesperson said that the company is "deeply saddened to learn of this tragic incident and offer our condolences to the Ma family." Apple "will fully investigate and cooperate with authorities in this matter," the company told Reuters.

Reports of malfunctioning smartphones have cropped up from time to time, and often times, people will post pictures of a burnt-out smartphone or some burns they got when handling devices. In some cases, however, the actual reason behind some defects is not the device itself. It's not clear yet exactly what might have caused Ma's death.