Smoking iPhone battery forces evacuation at Zurich store

An overheated and smoking iPhone battery forced the evacuation of about 50 people from an Apple Store in Zurich on Tuesday and left an employee slightly injured, police said.

Staff at the store near Zurich's central train station called police after noticing the smoke and sprinkled the battery with quartz powder, a statement from police in the Swiss city said.

"The staff responded well and correctly," police said.

"A shop assistant sustained minor burns while removing the battery that overheated," the statement continued, adding that seven others received medical attention but did not need to be taken to hospital for treatment.

Specialists from the Zurich Forensic Institute were studying the battery to determine the cause of the incident, police said.