18 children injured in fire sparked by lithium-ion battery at unlicensed daycare in Queens, NYC

18 children were injured after a fire erupted in an unlicensed daycare located in Queens. The fire was caused by a defective lithium-ion battery that exploded in the basement.

Firefighters were called yesterday afternoon around 2pm for a fire in a basement located at 147-07 72 Drive in Queens, NYC. When they arrived on location, the basement was filled with heavy fire and smoke. They removed 18 children from the building, most of them on the first floor and one of them in the basement. They found out that an illegal daycare was operating on the first floor.  Most children suffered minor injuries and did not require to be hospitalized. One of them was critically injured and still remains in the hospital. Two adults also suffered injury in the fire.

A neighbor took care of the children as parents were alerted and asked to come pick up their young kids. The fire was controlled in 45 minutes.

The city is now investigating the unlicensed daycare facility. (read more in the NY Daily News)

A man died and 10 people were injured in another fire caused by a defective e-bike lithium battery also in Queens last Friday

Fires caused by lithium-ion batteries used for e-bike and e-scooters are the cause of an increasing number of  injuries and fatalities in New York City. Also in Queens, less than a week ago, one man died and 10 were injured when a charging e-bike battery exploded in the first floor hallway of a home located on 89th Street in Jackson Heights. Because the e-bike was next to the staircases leading to the second floor, the fire caused them to collapse and firefighters had to use portable ladders to get to the second and third floors.

A man in his sixties wo was living on the second floor was rushed to the hospital  but he could not be saved and died from his injuries. 6 other people were hospitalized with non-threatening injuries and 4 firefighters suffered minor injuries during the collapse of the staircases.  The 60 year old victim is the first person to die in a fire accident caused by an e-bike lithium battery explosion this year in New York City. (read more in the NY Daily News)