A mother has spoken of her anguish after her 21-year-old daughter died when an e-bike battery burst into flames at her London flat, blocking her escape.
Former model Sofia Duarte lost her life when the blaze broke out in the entrance hall of her home on Old Kent Road, South Bermondsey, in the afternoon of New Year’s Day.
Her mother has now told of her grief, saying: “It feels like a nightmare and I can’t wake up.”
Fire investigators believe the flat fire was sparked by a bicycle that had been converted into an e-bike.
Its lithium battery pack it thought to have failed “catastrophically”, bursting into flames in the entrance to the property and preventing Miss Duarte from getting out.
Footage captured at the scene showed two fireballs exploding from a third-floor window as passers-by screamed for help below and tried to smash down the front door.
Miss Duarte’s mother, Maria Frasquilho Macarro, says her world fell apart the moment she learned her only daughter had died.
“Sofia loved life, she loved to party and she enjoyed her job working behind the bar at a nightclub,” she said. “Now all I have left is my daughter’s ashes.
“Sofia meant the world to me and my family. I don’t know how to live without her. It feels like a nightmare and I can’t wake up.”
Ms Macarro, who is originally from Portugal and brought up her daughter in west London, is now warning people to take care with e-bikes and e-scooters, and to never block fire escape routes.
“I really want to make sure [Sofia’s] death is not in vain,” she said.
“If I can raise awareness about the dangers of e-bikes and lithium batteries then there will be a positive in this. If we can save someone else’s life, I will take great comfort in that because at the moment I am hurting - I don’t want others to suffer as much as I have done.”
Fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters are on the rise in the capital.
So far this year London Fire Brigade (LFB) has been called to one such fire once every two days on average – a 60 per cent increase compared to the same period as last year.
The brigade has now launched a #ChargeSafe campaign, to inform people about the dangers of charging, storing and modifying the vehicles and their batteries.
Conversion kits allow people to add an electric motor to their bikes, but not all of them are sold with a battery.
LFB warns that some batteries such as cheaper ones purchased from online sources don’t necessarily adhere to UK safety regulations, and are more likely to fail and cause fires.
LFB’s Deputy Commissioner, Dom Ellis, said: “Sofia’s death is a tragedy, and our condolences are with her family and friends,” he said. “We are working hard to prevent these types of incidents in the future.
“E-bikes and e-scooters are becoming more common in London and the risk of significant fires is rising too. We want people to travel safely and be aware of the risks that the batteries present as part of our #ChargeSafe campaign.
“Protect yourself and your loved ones by following our #ChargeSafe tips and by using our Home Fire Safety Checker.
“Never block your escape route with anything, including e-bikes and e-scooters. The only way to be sure of a legal, safe and reliable e-bike is to buy one in complete form, from a trusted and reputed retailer.
“The number of incidents our fire crews are attending shows that buying a product from a reputable seller will help protect you, your family and property from bursting into flames - not forgetting the peace of mind it can give.”
For more tips and information, visit LFB’s website.
