Last year, the tragedy of a 20-year-old food delivery rider dying from a fire involving a Personal Mobility Device (PMD) within an HDB lift in Woodlands shocked Singapore.
An inquiry into his death revealed on 27 Dec that the fire likely started from the device, which had been illegally modified. The man purchased it from Carousell already modified, and modified it further by changing its battery pack to one with a higher voltage.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Muhammad Irfan Danish Azhar took the lift down to the first floor of Block 537, Woodlands Drive 16 with his PMD.
Source: Google Maps
Witness accounts and footage from cameras showed that the lift had a glowing light as it descended.
The PMD then shined with a bright light before exploding, causing Irfan to drop it. He attempted to exit the lift by pressing numerous buttons.
The fire grew out of control, its smoke blocking the view completely for CCTV cameras. Irfan was eventually able to escape from the lift on the second floor when its doors opened. However, he’d sustained severe burns from the fire.
Neighbours spotted smoke and flashes of orange light along the common corridor, TODAY reports. They also heard loud noises.
One witness, upon hearing Irfan call out for his mother, opened the door to see him walking slowly while on fire with parts of his body charred.
Source: SCDF on Facebook
The neighbours helped to put out the fire with buckets of water before Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and police officers arrived.
They found the burned wreckage of the PMD in the lift and Irfan at the staircase landing between the second and first floors. He had severe burns and told officers he could not breathe.
After transporting him to the hospital, an examination revealed that he had suffered from smoke inhalation and burns on nearly his entire body — 95%, according to post-mortem findings. Doctors at two hospitals
He succumbed to his burn injuries and smoke inhalation, passing away the day after. These causes were determined to have led to his death.
His best friend testified saying that Irfan had purchased the PMD in late 2020 from Carousell for S$1,800.
Upon seeing it, the friend realised that every part of the PMD had undergone modifications. He told the investigating officer that it could travel at speeds faster than the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) regulations.
Irfan also confessed that the modifications were present when he bought it. Investigations revealed that he modified the device further as well.
Eight minutes before the incident, his best friend called to ask him for help with the towing of another friend’s PMD, to which Irfan agreed. The call then ended.
LTA investigations revealed that the PMD was non-compliant and unregistered. It had previously deregistered multiple PMDs belonging to Irfan as they were uncertified.
Irfan was additionally on record for owning modified PMDs. His stepmother stated that he would usually charge the device for four to five hours at home before deliveries.
SCDF’s lead investigator testified that the lithium-ion battery pack may have accumulated damage or the components overheated, either of which likely caused the fire.
An electrical anomaly might have also occurred in the battery pack. It was a 24aH pack that he purchased on his own with no battery management system, which can prevent overcharging and overheating.
The investigator added that the system was probably bypassed to allow faster charging for the device. This, however, increases the chances of overheating.
The motor of the PMD had also undergone modifications, enabling faster speeds for the device.
This is also the first case of a PMD catching fire in a lift in Singapore, the investigator stated. The inquiry is still ongoing.
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Featured image adapted from SCDF on Facebook and MS News.
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