A electric bycicle caused another house fire in Queens, in NYand claimed the lives of a 19-year-old girl and her 7-year-old brother, local media reported on Tuesday.

The fire department said the bike it was near the main door of a two-story houseplugged into an extension cord when it caught fire, and the fire quickly spread upward, preventing them from escaping.

In the apartment on the second floor were a man and his five children. A father and his three children were able to jump out of a windowbut two others fell into a trap and died.

“I heard someone shouting: “Help me, help me.” I told him to leave the house. She said: ‘I can’t, the flames are climbing the stairs‘ said a neighbor who called the emergency number on channel 2 of the network. CBS.+

Firefighters made the announcement in an Instagram post. it is dangerous to leave e-bikes near building exitssince they can start a fire with an explosion, which gives “very little chance of saving the residents.”

They also pointed out that This year alone, there have been 59 fires caused by a lithium battery. and five people died, so they urged the public to buy “compatible chargers” with their bikes and test their quality.

In March, the mayor of New York signed a package of laws, including one trying to prevent the sale of contraband batteries and chargersthat do not meet the safety requirements. (EFE)