Footage has emerged of the dramatic moment an e-bike parked on a London train station platform burst into flames just inches away from unsuspecting passengers.
The video, posted by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) on social media, shows CCTV imagery of what appears to be the bike's battery letting out a column of smoke as four people wait on the platform nearby.
A pillar of smoke is shot into the air and parts of the bike are thrown off before the vehicle explodes, shooting flames and burning debris across Sutton railway station in South London.
Thankfully, the group of commuters began to flee just before the fireball erupted - even as the fire petered out, white-hot debris was still being flung across the area, leaving the platform strewn with flaming detritis.
A plume of smoke could be seen coming from the bike, before an explosion sent debris flying and commuters scrambling for cover
London Fire Brigade
The LFB said: "We're asking businesses, including rail operators, to consider their risk assessments after crews attended an e-bike fire on a Sutton train station platform.
"Crews were called just as rush hour was underway last month, fortunately no one was injured."
Station Officer Nigel McLachlan said owner Sahab Singh, 25, had bought the e-bike online four months prior, but had not had any issues with the vehicle.
He continued: "This incident only serves to highlight that it is very important to get these products from a reputable high-street seller so you know [their] full history.
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The fire broke out "just as rush hour was underway" at Sutton station, the LFB said
Wikimedia Commons/LFB
"If items are bought from online marketplaces, there is more risk it will be sold without the correct battery and charger, which can lead to a devastating fire."
The Sutton station fire is just one of a spate of e-bike blazes across the capital; as a result, the LFB has called them London's fastest-growing fire risk.
In February it released figures stating there had been a 78 per cent increase in e-bike fires in 2023 from 2022, with a shocking 155 e-bike fires and 28 e-scooter fires recorded in the last year alone.
40 per cent of the fires came from DIY "conversion kits" - unregulated batteries which riders can affix to regular, non-electric bikes.
And the fires have taken their toll - e-bikes aflame killed three people and injured 60 more in 2023, while 40 blazes have been recorded so far in 2024.
In response, the LFB issued a set of safety tips for e-bike owners, telling them to never block escape routes and "ideally" store these items in a "safe external location" like a shed, garage or bike rack, if possible.
The brigade also counselled riders to use proper chargers, not to "modify or tamper with" batteries, and not to try and convert a regular bike to an e-bike.
The bikes' non-pedalled counterparts, e-scooters, had been banned from all London transport in 2021 over fire concerns caused by defective lithium batteries.