More than 30 individuals were hurt in a high-rise fire in Midtown Manhattan, New York.
The latest in a fast growing number of battery incidents that have fire officials concerned, authorities are looking into a high-rise fire in New York City on Sunday that injured more than a dozen people and was blamed on a failing lithium-ion battery.
Battery-related fire in New York City that wounded over 3 dozen is being investigated.
Authorities were looking into a high-rise fire in New York City on Sunday that injured over a dozen people and was blamed on a failing lithium-ion battery. This was the most recent in a fast growing number of battery incidents that are alarming fire experts.
The Red Cross announced on Sunday that it had provided emergency funds and temporary housing to two people who had been affected by the fire on Saturday. This fire had resulted in a spectacular and unusual rope rescue that took place just steps away from the United Nations headquarters, 20 stories above Manhattan’s East 52nd Street.
43 people, including residents, firefighters, and police officers, were harmed, according to an updated patient count made public by the fire department on Sunday.
According to authorities, a fire in a high-rise apartment building in Midtown Manhattan injured up to 40 individuals. Residents of the building uploaded a photo of smoke coming from the windows.
The fire department reported that two people were taken to a hospital in critical condition and two others were taken in serious condition.
34 individuals from the incident had been admitted to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as of Sunday evening, and 28 had been discharged. The hospital declined to disclose details about specific individuals’ illnesses.
A woman who was trapped in a fire that injured at least 38 others was rescued on Saturday by firefighters dangling off a Midtown Manhattan high-rise using ropes, according to officials.
The existence of a fire alarm in the 37-story apartment building, as well as any open doors, were all under investigation by authorities. A lithium-ion battery linked to a “micromobility” device, which includes e-bikes, electric scooters, and other items that help people get around, has been determined to be the cause of the incident.
High-rise building fire scene in Manhattan, New York.
There were at least five motorcycles in the apartment where the fire started, according to Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn. According to Flynn, detectives think a bike’s occupant maintained it. Authorities believe one of the apartment’s residents repaired bicycles, and they are looking into if any illegal business activity took place.
A sign outside the housing complex stated, “No pedal or e-bikes allowed beyond this point.” Fire officials claim that any device using the potent lithium-ion batteries, not only those used in bicycles, could be dangerous.
The investigation will determine whether there were any violations of building safety, including whether a fire alarm should have been set off, whether any doors were left open, which would have contributed to the incident, and whether the building’s fire protection and planning were adequate.
Residents spoke of a confused and uneasy mood as a result of what had happened.
The 23-year-old Riley Jankowski claimed she smelled smoke and thought her apartment complex had turned on the heat.
She claimed that until she heard fire trucks and opened her window blinds, she was unaware of the danger.
Around 10:30 a.m., she left her sixth-floor apartment. and shouted “Fire!” as she banged on her neighbours’ doors. ”
a picture of the New York City Fire Department saving a woman.
Approximately 200 fires and six fire fatalities have been connected to “micromobility” device batteries this year, according to Flynn, signalling a “exponential growth” in these incidents over the previous few years.
A woman and a 5-year-old child died in a fire started by a scooter battery in August in Harlem, and an 8-year-old girl died in a fire started by an electric scooter battery in September in Queens.
The Fire Department has frequently advised consumers who use these batteries to abide by other safety precautions, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for charging and storing them, use only the manufacturer’s cord and power adapter, stop using a battery if it overheats, and follow those instructions.
FDNY rescues a woman in a Manhattan high-rise fire in a dramatic video.