Vellore e-scooter fire: Police to summon manufacturer Okinawa to assist in probe
On March 25, 49-year-old Durai Verma and his daughter Mohana Preethi died after their brand-new Okinawa electric scooter reportedly caught fire when left to charge overnight. Police said they haven’t been able to get in touch with the manufacturer of the vehicle over the weekend, but they should be able to get them on board by March 30
The Vellore Police will summon Okinawa Scooters to aid in the investigation of an electric scooter catching fire and killing its owners, sources from the police department told CNBC-TV18. The police will begin probing the case on Wednesday, assisted by inputs from the company.
“We will call on the company (Okinawa) to help us in the investigation,” an official from the local police department said. “We haven’t been able to get in touch with them over the weekend, but we should be able to contact them and get them on board by March 30,” the official added.
On March 25, 49-year-old Durai Verma and his daughter Mohana Preethi died after their brand-new Okinawa electric scooter reportedly caught fire when left to charge overnight. The fire had spread to their house, after which the duo reportedly died of asphyxiation despite suffering only minor injuries.
A preliminary investigation revealed that plugging the bike to an old electric socket may have sparked off a short circuit, which caused the fire. The police say it wants to probe further, and assess safety features of Okinawa’s electric scooters. “Our priority is to determine the cause of the fire and check if there is a link to the charging of the scooter’s battery. We expect Okinawa to provide us with this information,” the official said.
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CNBC-TV18 reached out to Okinawa for a comment on the incident, and the company responded by highlighting the need for user safety in order to prevent similar incidents. The company added that negligence may have caused the fire in question.
“Our heartfelt condolences (go out) to the family,” Okinawa’s statement began. “As per credible sources, the media and local authorities, this is an evident case of a short circuit due to negligence in charging the vehicle. We will wait for the complete investigation to unfold,” it added.
“This particular case has further brought to light how important it is for users to understand the correct usage and charging guidelines for EVs. As a responsible brand, time and again, we have been coming forward and taking a lot of initiatives to create awareness and educate our customers on the proper usage of electric two-wheelers, and the possible hazards they could experience in case of any negligence in taking proper care of the batter of the vehicle,” the statement added.
Also Read: Ola Electric launches probe after images of company scooter catching fire circulate online
First Published: Mar 28, 2022 9:02 PM IST
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