SYDNEY: (Bernama-dpa) A man died in a house fire in Sydney's west on Tuesday (Feb 18) morning, with investigators focusing on a charging e-bike battery as the possible cause of the blaze, reported German news agency (dpa).
Emergency services were called to the scene in Guilford just before 5 am (1800 GMT Monday), New South Wales (NSW) authorities said.
NSW Police said five occupants were reported to have escaped, while a sixth was found inside.
The man, yet to be formally identified, was brought out of the house but could not be revived and died at the scene, emergency services said.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) said investigators were focusing on a charging e-bike battery as the cause of the fatal blaze.
Forensic experts have examined the scene and "determined that an incompatible charger was powering the e-bike battery in the bedroom at the time of the fire", FRNSW said in a statement. "The food delivery bike itself was found outside the home."
The fire brigade said investigators "believe the battery was unable to absorb the energy generated by the charger and overheated, likely causing the fire".
FRNSW also shared images and footage of the burnt-out room. Pointing at the room's window, NSW Fire investigator Chris Hughes said: "At the time of the fire, CCTV is showing flame coming out of this window, indicating the jet-like flame that comes from lithium-ion batteries."
The fire brigade said there were no working smoke alarms at the property, urging the public to have working and up-to-date smoke alarms, as well as not to "mix and match batteries and chargers to prevent lithium-ion fires". - Bernama-dpa
