Centre, police launch probes into Pune, Vellore electric bike fires
The Union government has launched independent probes to investigate two recent incidents of fire in electric vehicles (EVs), in Pune and Vellore.
A parked Ola S1 Pro electric scooter caught fire in Pune while in Vellore, a 49-year-old man and his daughter died of suffocation when their brand-new Okinawa electric scooter reportedly caught fire when left to charge overnight.
Meanwhile, the Vellore police has summoned Okinawa Scooters to support the investigation. A police official said that Okinawa Scooters will join the ongoing probe by March 30.
The Centre has deputed experts who will travel to Vellore and Pune to find out if manufacturing defect could have caused the fire.
The EVs of both, Ola and Okinawa were tested and had received type approvals before they were launched.
The Vellore incident happened on March 25 when Durai Verma, 49, and his daughter Mohana Preethi died after their new Okinawa electric scooter caught fire when left to charge overnight. The father-daughter duo died of asphyxiation as the fire spread to their house and they could not get out in time.
The Vellore police have so far maintained that short circuit is the cause of fire. A primary report states that plugging the e-bike to an old electric socket may have sparked off a short circuit, which caused the fire. The police is now looking into the safety aspects of Okinawa’s scooters.
Also read: Why electric scooters could catch fire, and how you can avoid that
Okinawa company officials told CNBC-TV18 that negligence during charging may have caused the fire. “Our heartfelt condolences (go out) to the family. As per credible sources, the media and local authorities, this is an evident case of a short circuit due to negligence in charging the vehicle. We will wait for the complete investigation to unfold,” the statement read.
The Okinawa company statement further highlighted the need for users to understand the correct usage and charging guidelines for electric vehicles.
