The mother of a young Portuguese woman who died in London in a fire caused by an exploding electric bike battery is pressuring the British government to tighten regulations on the equipment.
Sofia Duarte, 21, died on January 1, 2023, 10 days before the 22nd. birthday while staying the night with her boyfriend in a flat in south London.
London firefighters said the flames spread after a lithium battery used in a modified electric bicycle that was charging in the hallway of the house exploded.
A year later, family and friends started a petition. [https://www.change.org/p/implement-legislation-and-regulations-on-e-bikes-and-e-scooters] The British government should strengthen the safety of electric bicycles and scooters, as well as their batteries and chargers.
“I thought it was necessary because not only am I helping people understand the dangers of these bicycles, but I also don’t want the same thing that happened to my daughter to happen again,” Maria Macarro explained to Lusa.
The petition calls on the Office of Products, Standards and Safety (OPSS) to introduce stricter fire safety regulations and standards and strengthen quality control for lithium-ion batteries.
In particular, he wants the dangers of electric bike conversion kits, batteries and chargers to be urgently investigated so that specific safety standards can be introduced.
The initiative is supported by the London Fire Brigade, which has carried out several campaigns to raise awareness of the issue.
According to the organization, in 2022 it had to intervene in 116 fires caused by faulty bicycles and e-scooters, with the number of incidents increasing by almost 60% in 2023.
London firefighters are warning people of the risk posed by cheap, uncertified parts bought online, namely batteries and chargers.
“Sophie’s death was a tragedy that should never have happened. I am proud to support her family and friends’ tireless campaign to ensure this tragedy does not happen again,” London City Council deputy mayor Fiona Twycross said in a statement.
The petition has also been praised by non-profit organization Electrical Safety First, which is working with Labor MP Yvonne Fovargue to introduce legislation on the issue into Parliament soon.
A young Portuguese woman became the first fatality in London and the fourth in the whole of the United Kingdom in a fire caused by electric bicycles, said Alda Simões, a friend of Sofia Duarte who helped launch the campaign.
Over the past two years, at least nine people have died in similar accidents in the country, including two children aged 4 and 8.
Family and friends gathered Thursday on Sofia Duarte’s 23rd birthday to remember her.
She was born in Lisbon and moved with her mother to the UK when she was 9 years old. When she died, she was working as a bartender in a nightclub and wanted to become a manager.
“She was a very strong girl, with a wonderful character, very happy. She liked to enjoy every moment, she never got tired of going to parties, being with friends,” her mother told Lusa.
Maria Macarro hopes the campaign will lead to the passage of a law named after her daughter, “so that when this happens, there is someone who is responsible.”
“My daughter lost her life, she lost everything at 21, and I lost everything too,” he lamented.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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