PMD lift fire: 10 seconds all it took to claim life of 20-year-old delivery rider

Ten seconds was all it took to claim the life of a food delivery rider whose personal mobility device (PMD) burst into flames while he was in a lift, Lianhe Wanbao reported.

The incident occurred at Block 537 Woodlands Drive 16 on Thursday (June 3) night, with the victim identified as 20-year-old Muhammad Irfan Danish Azhar.

A neighbour who happened to be on the ground floor with some friends told the Chinese evening daily that he had heard the sound of glass shattering before seeing signs of a fire on the second floor.

Rushing up the stairs, the 18-year-old fellow food delivery rider said he saw the victim already out of the lift and on the ground.

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He was still conscious but yelling in agony, said the eyewitness. As the victim's clothes had been singed off his body, the teenager said his friends took off their shirts to cover him. The victim was subsequently rushed to Khoo Teck Puat hospital where he succumbed to his injuries several hours later.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to the fire at about 11.25pm. The lift fire was extinguished by residents with buckets of water, and about 90 residents from the affected block were evacuated as a precaution, added SCDF.

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the ride up the lift from the first floor to the second was no more than 10 seconds, which was testament to the intensity of the explosion. 

'Kind and gentle boy'

In a Facebook post on Friday (June 4), former Sembawang GRC MP Amrin Amin wrote that he was saddened by the death of Irfan, whom he referred to as "A", describing him as a "kind" and "gentle" boy.

He indicated that "A" had helped him to deliver briyani to needy residents in Woodlands during Ramadan in 2018 and 2019.

Wrote Amrin: "I remember him as a kind, gentle boy. Only 20, A's bright future crushed. I feel very sorry for his parents, family and friends."

He also urged those who have a "non-UL2272-certified PMD to dispose it at an appropriate recycler".

It is unclear whether Irfan's PMD had a UL2272 certification.

According to The Straits Times, his girlfriend had posted a copy of his death certificate on Instagram. She also wrote in a mix of Malay and English that "it's difficult to sleep without your 'goodnights'... your 'I'm home', and the videos you'd send me when you're home or when you just wake up."

The 18-year-old neighbour also shared with Lianhe Wanbao that a mutual friend had received a text from Irfan the day he died, not aware that it would be the last message he would receive. In the message, Irfan had stated that he was "entering the lift" and "going home", although it wasn't clear if the message was sent just prior to the incident.

 A funeral was held for Irfan on Saturday at Masjid Maarof, a mosque in Jurong West.

PMD batteries can short-circuit

SCDF said that based on preliminary investigations, the fire was of electrical origin from the PMD.

Associate Professor Palani Balaya from the department of mechanical engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) told The Straits Times that using batteries from an unreliable source, overcharging PMDs, or using an incompatible charger are some reasons why lithium-ion batteries in PMDs can short-circuit.

He added: "It was unfortunate this accident happened within the lift, because it is completely closed.

"The person... would have suffered from both burns and toxic gases that would have leaked from the battery."

Ifrey Lai, managing director of Mobot, one of the major e-scooter retailers in Singapore, told Lianhe Wanbao that most PMDs on the market currently are unable to withstand long periods of use.

Lai understands that some users choose to modify their scooters with higher-capacity, higher-powered batteries, but if they are not fitted properly, the batteries may overheat and cause fires.

The most recent fatal PMD fire is not the first case here.

In 2019, a 40-year-old private-hire driver died after his PMD caught fire and engulfed his flat in flames.

There have been other cases of PMDs catching fire as well, in Marsiling and Ang Mo Kio.

Members of the public that they may dispose of their PMDs at designated collection points across the island at no cost from now till June 30, 2021, SCDF said.

candicecai@asiaone.com