80-year-old man dies, three injured after EV battery explodes

An 80-year-old man died and three of his family members suffered burn injuries when the battery of an electric scooter plugged in for charging exploded at their house in Nizamabad district, police said.

The incident happened early on Wednesday when the detachable battery of the electric two-wheeler kept on charge in a room burst triggering flames resulting in burn injuries to three people sleeping there while another family member was injured while trying to douse the flames, they said.

The octogenarian and those injured were admitted to a hospital in Nizamabad town, but after the elderly man’s condition became critical he was referred to a hospital in Hyderabad, but he succumbed to the injuries on the way, police said.

Based on a complaint by the son of the deceased, a case under Sections 304-A (causing death by negligence) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life) of the IPC was registered against the electric vehicle company, a police official added.