An unfortunate reality of electronic devices is that once in a while, those consumer contraptions can malfunction in the worst of ways. It’s not clear yet exactly what went wrong in the case of a Chinese woman who was electrocuted and died while answering a call on her Iphone 5 while it was charging, but Apple says it’s looking into the matter.

The 23-year-old China Souther Airlines flight attendant was shocked last Thursday in the process of picking up a call while her phone was plugged in, says the official Xinhua news agency.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of this tragic incident and offer our condolences to the Ma family. We will fully investigate and cooperate with authorities in this matter,” Apple told Reuters in a statement regarding the case. The story reached viral status over the weekend, after the woman’s sister posted a message online about what had happened to her and urged others to exercise caution.

The company didn’t comment on any details or explain whether or not this is an isolated case. With the exploding iPod phenomenon of years past in mind, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear there have been other incidents.

Apple to probe death of Chinese woman who used iPhone when it was charging [Reuters]

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