Friday, October 18, 2024 - An e-scooter killed a man after exploding into flames and trapping him inside his apartment.
A faulty lithium-ion battery set the scooter ablaze shortly
after 3.30am on Wednesday, October 16, in a second-floor apartment in the
Brighton Beach neighbourhood of Brooklyn, said the New York City Fire
Department (FDNY).
The fire and heat from the e-scooter were so strong that
they blocked a 69-year-old man from exiting his unit, according to FDNY Chief
Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn.
Another man, 35, and a woman, 32, who were also home tried
to put out the fire, which is not recommended when it involves a battery.
“They attempted to extinguish the fire (and) they were able
to escape with minor injuries,” Flynn told the New York Post, adding that they
were both hospitalized.
“There were two children as well that self-evacuated that
did not sustain injuries.”
The blaze was extinguished around 4.30am after more than 60 firefighters and emergency responders tended to the scene. A smoke detector had been taken out of the apartment, officials said.
“I would say that we were kind of lucky that we were able to
do that as quickly as we did, considering the heavy fire condition, with minor
injuries,” FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito told the newspaper.
A firefighter was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Images of the charred e-scooter were shared.
The elderly man’s identity was not immediately released.
It is the fourth death in the city involving a dangerous
device, said FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker. Tucker said that lithium-ion
batteries sold from unregulated sellers are k!lling people.
Standard fire extinguishers do not work very well in
stopping fires from lithium-ion batteries, officials said.
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