Lithium-ion battery fire causes 1st deaths in Australian state

ISTANBUL

The southeastern Australian state of New South Wales has reported the first deaths caused by a lithium-ion battery fire, the state's Fire and Rescue (FRNSW) service said on Tuesday.

The FRNSW said in a statement that four people were inside a townhouse in Teralba in the Lake Macquarie area when a fire broke out last Thursday.

The state has recorded 45 lithium-ion battery-related fires this year, or five incidents a week, said the FRNSW.

After investigations, the FRNSW said a battery was compromised and immediately went into a process “where a Lithium-Ion cell overheats and gives off toxic gases before exploding in flames.”

“Two of the occupants escaped the intense flames but two others inside the townhouse were killed, their bodies recovered from the unstable ruins on Friday and Saturday,” it said.

It appears “to be the state’s first recorded deaths” due to a lithium-ion battery-related fire, the FRNSW said, urging people to maintain “caution.”

According to the statement, the FRNSW will "formally identify the victims" and prepare a report, after which the NSW Coroner will formally determine the cause of death.

FRNSW records show that there were 269 such fires in the state last year, at the same weekly rate.