Consumer affairs groups in Japan are concerned over a rash of incidents involving smartphone chargers and cables.

Nearly 100 cases of smoke, fire or overheating involving chargers have been recorded by the Consumer Affairs Agency over the past year.

Some incidents have involved injuries. For instance, one person was slightly injured in a fire apparently linked to a portable phone charger in Saitama Prefecture outside Tokyo last month.

While the cause of the fire is still being investigated, the Topland charger unit, which was sold at convenience stores in Japan, was subject to a fire hazard recall issued in July that involved some 224,000 units.

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