Teenage Girl Burned After E-Cigarette Explosion

A 14-year-old girl suffered moderate burns after an e-cigarette exploded in the pocket of a nearby college student. The girl was riding the Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios Orlando last Saturday.

The teenager was holding the device while on the Harry Potter and Forbidden Journey ride with her family when the device malfunctioned, shooting a fireball into the air. She was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for treatment, according to Orlando police.

The college student fled the scene with three others, according to police and CNN affiliate WESH.

This incident "may have injured the suspect, but the group fled the entire park before being reported to OPD," Sergeant Wanda Miglio of the Orlando Police Department told CNN.

Previous e-cigarette incidents have resulted in burns to tongues, hands, and thighs, and in some cases, even burned lungs.

In February, Tom Kiklas of the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association told CNN that "there have been 22 such incidents reported since these products hit the market in 2008."

This is a small number considering the 9 million Americans who use e-vapor products, he said.

"It's not so much a problem with e-vapor products, but with the lithium batteries they are using, and most are using mismatched chargers," Kiklas told CNN. Consumers, he said, should use batteries or chargers as recommended.

The explosion on the Harry Potter ride left a small burn hole in the train seat but caused no other significant damage, WESH reported.