Thermal Runaway Caused Tragedy
A tragic fire broke out in Nanjing's Mingshangxiyuan community on February 23rd, claiming 15 lives and injuring 44 others. An investigation report released by Jiangsu Fire and Rescue on Wednesday afternoon revealed the cause of the fire to be a thermal runaway in an illegally modified electric bicycle's oversized lithium-ion battery.
The investigation, led by the provincial government, concluded that the battery of the electric bicycle, which was parked in a building's open-air space, overheated and eventually caught fire. The flames quickly spread to nearby bicycles and flammable materials stored illegally in the courtyard. The toxic smoke and intense heat penetrated into residential units, leading to the tragic loss of life.
The investigation further revealed that the bike owner had illegally modified the vehicle and purchased an oversized battery from unregulated online sources. The manufacturer and retailer of the electric bicycle were found to have violated national safety standards.
Contributing factors to the severity of the fire included poor maintenance of firefighting equipment and the property management company's failure to quickly detect the fire, evacuate residents, or take effective emergency measures.
As a result of the investigation, 10 individuals, including the bike owner, unlicensed battery sellers, and the property management company's executives, have been subjected to criminal coercive measures by the public security authorities. Additionally, seven enterprises involved in electric bicycle production, sales, and property management face penalties from regulatory authorities.
9 Comments
Katchuka
Thoughts and prayers are not enough. We need concrete action to prevent this from happening again. 🙏
KittyKat
I hope this serves as a reminder to everyone to be careful with fire hazards. One mistake can have devastating consequences. 🙏
Noir Black
This is a wake-up call for everyone who owns an electric bike. Please, make sure your battery is safe and properly maintained! 🙏
Marishka
I'm disgusted by the negligence that led to this tragedy. People need to be held accountable. 😠
Eugene Alta
My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones in this fire. This is a nightmare. 😔
Pupsik
Holding the bike owner accountable is not enough. Everyone involved in this tragedy needs to be punished. ⚖️
Noir Black
This is a reminder that convenience should never come at the cost of safety. ⚠️
Katchuka
It's outrageous that the property management company didn't act quicker. People's lives were at stake! 🤬
Loubianka
Unregulated online sellers? This needs to be stopped. People are making money off of putting lives at risk. 😠