On the first day of a coroner’s inquiry, a police investigation officer said that the device was non-compliant to safety standards. - SINGAPORE CIVIL DEFENCE FORCE/FACEBOOK
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A 20-year-old man died of extensive burns and smoke inhalation after his modified personal mobility device (PMD) burst into flames while he was in a lift with it.
On the first day of a coroner’s inquiry into the death of Muhammad Irfan Danish Azhar, a police investigation officer said on Tuesday (Dec 27) that the device was non-compliant to safety standards.
Woodlands Division Station Inspector Sofian Azami said the PMD was already modified when Irfan bought it from online platform Carousell in December 2020.
“He modified it (further) by changing the battery to (one of) a higher voltage,” he said.
Singapore Civil Defence Force senior fire investigator Muhammad Faizal Mazlan, who also took the stand on Tuesday, said the fire was of electrical origin and likely occurred from within the PMD.
“The battery pack did not have a battery management system (BMS), which protects against overcharging or overheating.
“Bypassing the BMS allows the PMD to charge faster, but more current could have been drawn from the battery than expected, possibly leading to overheating,” he said.
