April 10 2023 QUEENS, New York – FDNY says two children have died after a heavy fire at Astoria home caused by e-bike this Monday afternoon.
Fire broke out on 46th street in Astoria around 2:30pm, quickly spreading to nearby homes. Heavy flames were battled for an hour at a townhouse as fire started on the first-floor vestibule and traveled up the stairs to the apartments.
A family was at the apartment as fire broke out, FDNY say 19-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy did not survive the fire.
Victim’s mother, father and other two children were able to escape through the window with help of their neighbors and are at the hospital.
Officials say the fire started from E-bike Lithium batteries.
“The horrific fire that resulted in the death of two young people Monday afternoon is a stark reminder of the importance of an issue the FDNY has been talking about for some time: education and awareness around lithium-ion batteries. We know people have e-bikes and similar micro-mobility devices, and we are imploring users to follow all manufacturer safety guidelines and recommendations. We are also calling on our federal, state and local partners to move quickly on regulations that will help ensure tragedies like today’s fire are prevented. We are heartbroken for the family of these victims,” said Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh.
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