An e-bike battery erupted into flames while charging, sparking a fire outside Life Pharmacy in Business Bay.
Eyewitnesses attributed the blaze to a probable short circuit caused by the dampness of the power socket outside the pharmacy. “There were a few loud bangs and the next thing you see is fire licking the glass exterior of the pharmacy,” recounted a cafeteria worker who, alongside vigilant passersby, helped douse the flames. “We hastily removed the e-bike else it would have gutted,” he added.
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A security guard at Escape Tower where the pharmacy is located confirmed the fire was caused by the battery explosion.
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The incident occurred at 1.30 pm and the fire was quickly brought under control.
While many e-bikes and e-scooters are considered safe, the infiltration of faulty batteries and other hardware, such as chargers, poses a risk of ignition in some products.
The cause behind e-bike fires can be attributed to both chemical and practical factors. Chemically, lithium-ion cells undergo a phenomenon called thermal runaway, leading to a sudden surge in battery cell temperature and pressure, coupled with the emission of flammable gas. The ignition of this gas due to the battery’s elevated temperature results in a rapid fire that is challenging to extinguish and emits toxic fumes.