Electric bike catches fire while charging; nine-month-old dies, two suffer burns in Maduravoyal
Police said that they had to cross the bike to get to the stairs and they underestimated the intensity of the fire.;
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CHENNAI: A 9-month-old baby died, and her parents suffered burn injuries when their electric bike caught fire while charging at their home in Maduravoyal on Sunday morning.
The couple is identified as Gowthaman (31) and his wife, Manju (28).
Gowthaman was working as an electric motor mechanic. He has bought an electric bike to commute to work. On Saturday night, after returning home, he put the bike on charge.
Around 5:30 am on Sunday morning, Gowthaman woke up sensing smoke and saw his bike on fire.
Some of the wires in the electric motors he had kept beside the bike on the verandah too caught fire and he woke his wife up and took the child and tried to move to the first floor where his parents stay, by taking the stairs on the side of the house.
Police said that they had to cross the bike to get to the stairs and they underestimated the intensity of the fire.
Hearing their screams, neighbours rushed to their aid, put out the fire and then moved them to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH).
Police said that the child and the father suffered 40 per cent burns while the mother sustained 15 per cent burns. Later, the infant reportedly succumbed to burns.
Police have registered a case and are investigating.
