Samsung has temporarily halted production of the Galaxy Note7 smartphone after numerous reports of devices catching fire, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported today.
The agency said it had been told by an official at a supplier for Samsung that the decision had been taken in consultation with consumer safety bodies in South Korea, the US and China.
Included in the cessation of production is a Samsung plant in Vietnam that looks after worldwide shipments of the Note7.
There have been several reports of the Note7 catching fire. Samsung ordered a recall of the device worldwide but it now appears that replacements have the same defect that caused units from the original shipments to combust.
{loadposition sam08}Yonhap said there had been eight reports of fires involving replacement Note7s - five in the US, one in South Korea and one in Taiwan.
There have been no details following investigation of the seven incidents outside South Korea, the agency said, adding that the one local incident was investigated by Korea Testing Laboratory and SGS Korea who concluded it was caused by a "strong external shock or being squashed".
It said Samsung was yet to issue a statement on the suspension of production but it would probably affect resumption of sales in Europe and India scheduled for 28 October.
In a media release, Samsung Australia said it was aware of the incidents involving replacement Galaxy Note7 smartphones, adding that it was "conducting a thorough investigation" into the matter.
"We continue to move quickly to investigate the reported cases to determine the cause and will provide an update as soon as possible," a spokesperson said.
"Samsung Electronics Australia is working with its partners. We understand that telecommunications operators and retailers in Australia have paused the supply of replacement Galaxy Note7 smartphones in this country and are providing loan phones to concerned customers."
The company reassured customers that it took the matter seriously. "We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate their patience as we work diligently through this process," the spokesperson said.
The Note7 was released in 10 countries on 19 August. Samsung ordered the recall on 6 September.