Are you suggesting this software will somehow be able to make a phone explode? The pagers weren't just normal pagers with malware, I'm pretty sure they were loaded with actual explosives.
Yes, software was involved in the pager attacks, and software can be used to overheat and cause malfunction(which in the case of lithium ion can cause explosions, hazardous gases, and fire). Another example of a software-based attack that damages hardware is Stuxnet(there were no explosives either as part of this attack).
Downvoting facts? You might not be thinking about this topic rationally.