Authorities say that four people were killed and two others remain in critical condition after a fire caused by a lithium-ion battery broke out in an e-bike repair shop and tore through a New York City building overnight. The New York City Fire Department responded to the fire at 80 Madison Street at around 12:15 a.m. local time. The FDNY said in a statement on Twitter that the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery on the first floor of the store.
New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said that firefighters pulled six residents from the building in critical condition, though four have since died. One firefighter also suffered minor injuries. Kavanagh said at a press briefing Tuesday: “It is very clear that this was caused by lithium-ion batteries and e-bikes,” and added that the fire department has written violations at the location — HQ E-Bike Repair — before: “we have conducted enforcement in this location before. This exact scenario where there’s an e-bike store on the first floor and residences above and the volume of fire created by these lithium-ion batteries is incredibly deadly.”
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