Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Oct 13: A house in the Basaveshwaranagar area of Bengaluru was damaged in a fire late on Sunday night after an electric scooter caught fire while being charged. The flames spread quickly to the basement, destroying two bicycles and damaging parts of the house, triggering panic in the residential locality.

Fire and emergency services personnel rushed to the spot and managed to bring the blaze under control before it could spread further. No casualties were reported.

File photo

The scooter belonged to Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Shivanahalli, who runs a cloth business in Nagarathpete. “I had purchased the vehicle from a local vendor for Rs 28,000 about a year ago. It was out of warranty. My son used it for his daily commute. The battery exploded suddenly, and with neighbours’ help, we dragged it out before the fire spread to the adjoining building,” he said.

Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was triggered by overcharging and a suspected malfunction in the scooter’s automatic power cut-off mechanism, which failed to stop the charging once the battery was full.

Basaveshwaranagar police have registered a case of accidental fire and are conducting further inquiries.

The incident has raised renewed concerns over the safety of low-cost electric vehicles and charging practices. Authorities have advised users to avoid overnight charging and ensure vehicles are charged in well-ventilated areas, following all safety guidelines laid down by manufacturers.