News of a South Korean construction worker who was reportedly killed by an exploding cell phone battery was all over the web.

The worker was found dead Wednesday with a melted - and still burning - cell phone in his breast pocket. Initial reports quoted police as saying they presumed the death was due to the battery exploding.

A 33-year-old excavator driver was found dead on Wednesday in Cheongwon, North Chungcheong Province, after a suspected cell phone battery explosion, police said.

The man, identified only with his surname Seo, was found lying dead beside his excavator in a stone quarry in Cheongwon at 8:40 a.m. by his colleagues. His cell phone was found in his shirt pocket with its battery severely melted and his chest burned and fractured, the police said.

"We presume that the cell phone battery exploded," the police official said on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way.

Kim Hoon, a doctor who examined the body, agreed.

"He sustained an injury that is similar to a burn in the left chest and his ribs and spine were broken," Yonhap news agency quoted Kim as saying. "It is presumed that pressure caused by the explosion damaged his heart and lungs, leading to his death."

A burnt mobile phone (right) is seen in this picture released by the Cheongju Heungdeok Police Station. The front image of the phone is courtesy of The Korea Times.

Today, however, new reports point to an industrial accident as the cause of death. In South Korea, media reports on Friday said the death of the quarry worker was actually accidental. The Chosun Ilbo reported the man was hit by a co-worker driving a backhoe. Yonhap News also reported the same cause of death.

Overheating and exploding batteries are not unheard, apparently, and is one of the reasons behind the recall of several million batteries. In this case, however, the cell phone melting was apparently due to impact from the backhoe.

A co-worker has been arrested by the police after confessing to the accident and trying to cover it it by blaming the cell phone.