Brighton Beach man, 69, dies after motorcycle lithium battery explodes
In a tragic incident on the morning of October 16th, a lithium battery explosion in a six-story apartment building in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, led to the death of a 69-year-old man and left two others injured. The explosion occurred when a resident was charging an electric bike in their bedroom overnight.
According to the Fire Department, around 3:30 AM, a resident on the second floor was charging the bike, which is suspected to have malfunctioned, causing the explosion and subsequent fire. The loud blast startled other residents, who initially attempted to extinguish the flames themselves. After struggling for a while without success, they called for emergency help.
Firefighters arrived on the scene by 3:40 AM and found a severe blaze on the second floor. Fortunately, two children managed to escape unharmed, while two adults who had attempted to fight the fire suffered minor injuries. Tragically, the 69-year-old man was unable to flee in time and was pronounced dead at the scene near the severely burned electric bike, just before the flames spread to other units in the building.
Authorities indicated that the lithium battery from the electric bike was likely purchased online and might have been unregulated. They emphasized that the sale of unregulated lithium batteries and electric bikes is prohibited in New York City. Residents were advised to store lithium batteries and their chargers outdoors and to charge them outside due to the high temperatures and intense flames that lithium battery fires can produce, often igniting without warning. In the event of a fire, it’s crucial to call 911 immediately.
Robert Tucker, the newly appointed Fire Chief, visited the fire site, highlighting the importance of heeding advice about lithium batteries. While he noted a reduction in the number of fatalities related to lithium battery fires, he stressed that too many lives are still being lost. “I will continue to speak out about the dangers posed by unregulated lithium batteries until we achieve zero deaths,” he stated, underscoring that unregulated batteries pose severe risks to both residents and emergency responders.
As of September 30th of this year, there have been 202 incidents involving lithium battery fires citywide, with 104 occurring within buildings. A particularly devastating fire on October 13th in Bensonhurst resulted in four deaths. So far in 2024, lithium battery fires have left dozens of residents in Brooklyn homeless, with several others hospitalized.
