Guwahati, September 25 2010: They are mysterious cases but true.

At least 15 people have been injured in the few days following the explosions of mobile phones after calls from certain numbers in the state of Assam.

The cases of mobile phone explosion inceases after getting calls from mystetious numbers which have now left Assam baffled.

According to the victims, the mysterious numbers are either in red colour or letters in between the numbers.

According to technocrats and specialists in communication gadgets, there is no scientific basis of handsets bursting due to calls from strange numbers with one or two letters between digits.

However, companies dealing in mobile phone services are taking no chances.

"We are concerned and we have accordingly roped in experts from Delhi to probe these incidents," a senior executive of one of eight leading service providers said on Saturday.

On Monday, a housewife Wahida Khatun of western Assam's Goalpara town claimed that a call she received last Monday left her with a terrible headache and weakness.

On the same day, Ruma Laila of central Assam's Kamalpur town reported bleeding from ears and nose after a mysterious call made her handset explode.

The district hospitals admitted 10 more patients hit by a 'bombile' � a term coined for bomb-like or exploding mobile handset � in the past few days.

The phenomenon hit capital city Guwahati on Thursday after one Manik Sarkar (23) became unconscious following a call from a number police officials later said had a Pakistan code.

Moromi Begum of Rangiya town, 60 km east of Guwahati, was also 'hit' by a similar number that day.

The police officials in Assam ruled out "subversive software" triggering electric shocks and said cell phone explosions could be the result of defective batteries.

But the batteries all the patients used were found to have been intact.

"The incidents can be explained by defects in battery or handset or both," said Kandarpa Kumar Sarma of Gauhati University's Department of Electronics.

Meanwhile, people have been circulating SMS warning people not to receive calls from five specific numbers that flash on handset screens with red highlighter.

PHONE FACTS
- Assam has more than 10 lakh mobile phone users
- Explosion-causing calls are highlighted in red and/or have letter(s) in between.
- Symptoms of those exposed to hazardous calls include fainting, sudden body weakness, bleeding from nose, mouth and ears and feeling electric shocks.
- Pre-paid connections issued elsewhere in India cannot be used in Assam and the rest of Northeast owing to security reasons.
- Restrictions on post-paid roaming facility too.

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