11-year-old suffers burns to half of his body after electric bike battery explodes

An 11-year-old boy suffered severe burns on half of his body after an electric bike battery that was charging in his room burst into flames on Monday, rescue workers and medics said.

Aviel Dabush was pulled out from his burning bedroom in a residential building in Netanya and was rushed to the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan unconscious and in serious condition.

Six other individuals were injured in the explosion. A 42-year-old was moderately injured due to smoke inhalation and five others, including Dabush’s mother and sister, suffered light injuries. They were evacuated to Netanya’s Laniado Hospital in, the Magen David Adom emergency service said.

An initial investigation of the incident confirmed that the fire was caused by the lithium battery that burst into flames while charging, the Fire and Rescue Service said.

“The battery of an electric bike used by his older brother who sleeps in the same room with him was charging at the time and apparently exploded,” Dabush’s sister, Daniela, told the Walla news site.

“We’ve heard of things like this happening, and that it’s dangerous,” she added. “They were usually very careful. My mom didn’t allow bringing these batteries inside the house and they were usually kept [outside] on the balcony.”

אביאל דבוש בן ה-11 הוא הילד שנפצע קשה בשריפה בנתניהhttps://t.co/iVsSV5ii9x@OferHalfonKan pic.twitter.com/8J0hXsG3Yo

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 1, 2022

The use of lithium batteries has risen dramatically in recent years, as two-wheeled electric vehicles have become increasingly popular.

These batteries are reported to have sparked fires in the past.

In September, a 12-year-old boy died after a fire consumed his home in Petah Tikva. The fire was also believed to have been caused by an unattended or malfunctioning electric scooter battery that was charging in the living room area.