E-scooter kills a man after exploding into flames and trapping him inside his apartment.

Thursday, October 17, 2024 - 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.