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At least 43 people were injured in an apartment fire Saturday at a high-rise in Midtown Manhattan, fire officials said.
Two people remain hospitalized in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon, New York City Fire Department spokesperson Frank Dwyer said. Two others are in serious condition, he added. The others, including roughly a dozen firefighters, were being treated for minor injuries.
The two people in critical condition have “life-threatening injuries secondary to smoke inhalation,” said Joseph Pataky, a chief at the department, at a Saturday news conference. .
The fire department responded to the three-alarm blaze on the 20th floor of the high-rise apartment building at 10:24 a.m. Saturday, according to the fire department’s report.
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Firefighters were there within three minutes of the call and rescued two civilians trapped on the 20th floor, FDNY Chief Frank Leeb said. One of those was a rope rescue, he added.
New York City Fire Department commissioner Laura Kavanagh said the fire was caused by “a lithium-ion battery connected to a micromobility device,” meaning a battery-powered scooter, bicycle or skateboard.
Chief Fire Marshal Dan Flynn said there has been an “exponential increase in the last couple of years” in fires caused by micromobility devices powered by lithium-ion batteries. He said there have been about 200 such fires this year that have led to six deaths.
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These micromobility devices can include e-bikes and e-scooters, but authorities did not specify what type of device was involved in the fire.
Flynn said at least five bikes were recovered from the apartment where the fire started, and authorities believe its resident was repairing the bikes.
“We also want to emphasize the rising cause of fires from e-bikes and to ensure families are following the safest possible ways to use these, including not charging them overnight when they’re asleep, including making sure they are certified and that the batteries they are using aren’t damaged in any way,” Kavanaugh said.
Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.
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