Synopsis: NEW YORK – Authorities were investigating a high-rise fire in New York City on Sunday that injured more than a dozen people and was attributed to a malfunctioning lithium-ion battery, the latest in a rapidly expanding string of battery fires that have fire officials alarmed.
New York City probes battery-linked fire that injured over 3 dozen
On Sunday, authorities were investigating a high-rise fire in New York City that injured more than a dozen people and was attributed to a malfunctioning lithium-ion battery, the latest in a rapidly expanding string of battery fires that have fire officials alarmed.
The Red Cross stated on Sunday that it offered temporary housing and emergency funds to two persons displaced by Saturday’s fire, which resulted in a spectacular and rare rope rescue 20 storeys above Manhattan’s East 52nd Street, just steps from the United Nations headquarters.
According to an updated patient count released by the Fire Department on Sunday, 43 citizens, firemen, and police officers were hurt.
According to the fire department, two individuals were carried to a hospital in critical condition and two in serious condition.
As of Sunday evening, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital had received 34 patients from the incident and had released 28. The hospital refused to share information on particular patients’ conditions.
Firefighters dangling off a Midtown Manhattan high-rise using ropes rescued a lady trapped in a fire that injured at least 38 others on Saturday, officials said.
Officials were investigating if the 37-story apartment complex had a fire alarm, whether any doors had been left open, and other issues. The origin of the fire has been identified as a lithium-ion battery connected to a “micromobility” gadget, which includes e-bikes, electric scooters, and other products that assist people get around.
According to Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn, there were at least five bikes in the flat where the fire began. According to Flynn, investigators believe an occupant performed bike maintenance. Officials suspect a tenant of the apartment fixed bikes and are examining whether any illicit business activity occurred.
“No pedal or e-bikes allowed beyond this point,” said a notice outside the housing complex. According to fire officials, any gadget that utilised the powerful lithium-ion batteries, not just those in bicycles, may pose a concern.
Officials said they will look into whether there were any building safety violations — whether there was or should have been a fire alarm; whether doors were left open, feeding the fire; and whether the structure’s fire protection and planning were acceptable.
Residents described an atmosphere of perplexity and apprehension over what had occurred.
Riley Jankowski, 23, said she smelled smoke and assumed her apartment building had switched on the heat.
She stated she didn’t recognise the threat until she heard fire vehicles and opened her window blinds.
She went out of her sixth-floor apartment around 10:30 a.m. and hammered on her neighbours’ doors, crying, “Fire!”
According to Flynn, approximately 200 blazes and six fire deaths have been linked to “micromobility” gadget batteries this year, representing a “exponential growth” in such fires over the last few years.
Among the victims were an 8-year-old girl killed in September when an electric scooter battery ignited a fire in Queens, and a mother and a 5-year-old kid killed in August in Harlem by a fire caused by a scooter battery.
The Fire Department has regularly advised users of such batteries to follow the manufacturer’s charging and storage instructions, use only the manufacturer’s cord and power adapter, cease using a battery if it overheats, and adhere to other safety precautions.
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