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Four other people died in a smoking chimney that burst at a Lower East Side e-bike repair shop on Madison Street.
LOWER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) – Four other people died in a smoking chimney that burst at an e-bike repair shop on the Lower East Side, and authorities say the chimney was caused by a lithium-ion battery.
Authorities say the chimney around 12:15 a. m. Tuesday was inside the Madison Street store. An employee at the nearby deli called 911.
Thick smoke billowed from the building as firefighters evacuated many residents.
“We arrived in about 4 minutes. We discovered a large fireplace in an electric bike shop, on the first floor,” said Deputy Chief John Sarrocco.
When electric bikes catch fire, it’s not a slow combustion, but an explosion that’s difficult for firefighters to control.
A cellphone video taken moments after the batteries exploded shows how it drilled a hole in the steel front door.
Belal Alayah works at the supermarket next door.
“The flames are so hot they go through the steel door, that’s how hot it was,” Aliya said. “Within 15 minutes, the flames went up the stairs, to the next door. They also walked next door. “
At a press conference following the incident, FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh implored New Yorkers for the dangers and caution associated with devices that run on lithium-ion batteries.
Firefighters say the motorcycle shop is part of a six-story construction with several sets on top. The motorcycle shop was not meant to be open at the time of the fire.
At the press conference, he revealed that the location had been convened through the FDNY last August to rate the electronic batteries and the number of electronic drums on the site.
SEE: FDNY Update on Fire Investigation at Electric Bicycle Repair Shop
“We were in this location,” said FDNY Fire Chief Dan Flynn, who also showed the company also won a separate citation in 2021.
“We inspected these assets in August and issued FDNY subpoenas,” Flynn said. “The court found that they were at fault. Everything is similar to the speed of the batteries and the number of batteries. “
The store owner was fined $1,600 in connection with the recent citation.
FDNY investigators have been tracking the company ever since and saw no charged electronic batteries on their last visit. “But they have a lot of batteries, which is also a violation,” Flynn said.
Authorities said two of the victims who died in the chimney were men and two women, as well as a 71-year-old man and a 62-year-old woguy.
At least two women were seriously injured. All victims were taken to local hospitals, adding the burn unit at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Cornell.
Another resident treated and released at the scene and a firefighter examined for minor injuries, the government said.
“A friend of mine came in and shouted ‘there’s a fireplace next to it. ‘I fainted, I saw the flames so hot that they passed the steel door. The chimney kept growing and it took them time to avoid the chimney,” eyewitness Belal Alayah said.
Fire Chief Kavanagh said the most recent incident is now the 108th lithium-ion battery fire this year, with a total of thirteen fatalities.
The Red Cross now provides emergency shelter to 8 households, 23 adults and 2 children.
READ ALSO | NYC seeks effective measures for lithium-ion batteries
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