Video captures moment e-cigarette explodes in NJ woman's bag - New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV

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OLD BRIDGE, N.J. — Mara McInerney got the shock of her life when her vape pen exploded in her $1,200 Louis Vuitton bag.

McInerney was checking out of a sunglass store at the Freehold Raceway Mall in New Jersey when a huge cloud of smoke erupted from her bag.

She escaped injury but the experience left her terrified.

"First thing I heard was the bang, there was an explosion. Second thing, smoke in my face. And then before I knew it, my bag was flames," she told PIX11 News.

McInernery said it could have been worse if the explosion happened in her car, where she keeps her bag on the back seat next to her daughter.

There have been scores of fires and explosions of e-cigarettes and vape pens that have caused serious injuries. The culprit has been the ion lithium batteries that power 95 percent of all electronic mobile devices.

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