Spurned Chinese wife burns 400 cell phones after relationship blows up

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING - A Chinese news agency says a spurned Chinese wife set fire to more than 400 cell phones owned by her and her husband after he walked out on their marriage.

The official Xinhua News Agency says the 37-year-old woman, identified only by her surname Wang, has been arrested for arson.

The couple had owned a successful retail phone business in Weifang in the eastern province of Shandong.

However, their shaky relationship hit rock bottom when her husband left her on March 3, according to the report.

Overcome with despair, the woman gathered up their entire stock of more than 400 new mobile phones, reportedly valued at more than US$42,000 and set them on fire before walking out of the house.

Neighbours who saw smoke coming from the house called firefighters, who quickly extinguished the blaze.

© The Canadian Press, 2008