Another incident of EV related fire has claimed one life and put others in danger. This time an EV battery exploded while charging, causing a fire. The accident claimed the life of a 40-year-old man in Vijayawada city. The accident happened in the early hours of Saturday when the EV battery was being charged in the man’s bedroom.
The 40-year-old man’s wife also suffered severe burns and the couple’s two children suffered from suffocation. According to police, the woman was still under observation when the children were stable.
According to Surya Raopet police inspector V Janaki Ramaiah, the victim’s name was K Shiva Kumar. He was a self-employed DTP employee and had recently bought an electric bike on Friday. The detachable battery of the vehicle kept charging in his bedroom on Friday night and suddenly exploded when everyone was sleeping soundly.
Police claimed that the explosion caused a minor fire in the house. The fire burnt the air conditioning machine and some other household items. Neighbors rushed to help the family and managed to break into the house and get them out. However, Shiv Kumar died while being taken to the hospital in an ambulance. His wife was admitted to a private hospital for treatment, where she was kept under observation for 48 hours.
another fire incident #EVBatteryBlast While charging indoors in pink little #vijayawada, 42-year-old Shivakumar, who bought the new bike Boom Corbett 14 on Friday, has died, his wife Harathi is in critical condition; Children Bindushri, Shashi suffered asphyxiation @ndtv @ndtvindia pic.twitter.com/kRxDpJYR1O
— Uma Sudhir (@umasudhir) April 24, 2022
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The inspector said, “The exact cause of the blast is yet to be ascertained. Fire service personnel also visited the spot to ascertain the cause. We have also spoken to the EV company to check if there is an electric short circuit.” May cause battery explosion.
The accident comes just days after another similar incident in Nizamabad, where an 80-year-old man lost his life when the battery of an electric vehicle was charged. The family members were also seriously injured in that incident.
Since late March, there have been several reports of EVs catching fire. Many of them were filmed but others were not. The incessant number of reports has pushed the government into action. Earlier this week, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had said that companies found guilty of negligence will be fined. Companies have been ordered to recall all defective electric vehicles.
Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal appreciated the action taken by the government regarding the fire in electric vehicles. Earlier this year, the Ola S1 Pro also caught fire, raising concerns about safety.
After EV battery fire: 40-year-old man lost his life, family members injured in explosion in Vijayawada, first appeared on BGR India.
