Mumbai: Sparks in Charging Electric Bike Battery Leaves Entire Flat Gutted in Byculla, No Casualty Reported

Mumbai, October 29: In what is reported to be the second such incident in as many months, sparks in an electric bike battery that was being charged inside a flat led to a major fire on Friday afternoon. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident that left the entire flat gutted in in Mazgaon, Byculla.

Times of India quoted Rafiq Shaikh, Mandvi fire station officer as saying that while the battery was being charged, sparks started flying due to the charging cable and the battery got involved. The cause appears to be a short-circuit. Mumbai Fire: Electrical DP Box Catches Fire in Vasai, Alert Citizens Douse Blaze With Fire Extinguisher (Watch Video)

When the incident happened, there were five people in the first-floor flat in the two-storey Ahmed building. They immediately ran out on noticing the sparks. The flat was burnt by the time the fire was extinguished at 12.48pm. Around eight to 10 people were brought down from the building using a fire ladder as the staircase was filled with smoke.

The fire station officer added that they were informed that some of these senior citizens were asthma and tuberculosis patients and were having extreme difficulty in breathing, considering that the smoke had spread throughout the building. Some tried to escape making use of the staircase but were unable to do so. They were later rescued safely. Andhra Pradesh Fire: 36 E-Bikes, Kept for Special Discounted Sale on Diwali, Gutted in Blaze at Motor Showroom in Parvatipuram

Kishore Jain, owner of the gutted flat, said he had purchased an electric bike six months ago. He had kept the battery for charging. Never in the past did it give any indication that it would cause sparks. There were five people in the house when the fire started but they all ran out quickly.

Earlier in Vasai, a seven-year-old child had died of serious burns after the battery of his father’s e-scooter charging in their living room exploded on September 23. Police had said overheating of the battery could have caused the explosion and subsequent fire.

(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Oct 29, 2022 09:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).