Woman killed in pizza shop fire was trapped inside bathroom when e-bike burst into flames
By Lucy Yang
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FLUSHING, Queens, New York (WABC) — A quick slice at a local pizza parlor proved deadly for a 76-year-old woman in Flushing, Queens.
The fire happened on the Fourth of July. Tragedy struck when the victim unsuspectingly used the restroom in the back of Singa’s Pizza on Kissena Boulevard. That’s the exact moment the back of the store burst into flames.
“She went to the bathroom for one minute,” FDNY Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn said. “She was trapped. She could not get out of the bathroom because the device was stored directly outside the bathroom. It’s a tremendous tragedy.”
Authorities add, it all could have been prevented.
According to fire officials, there was an e-bike charging inside the restaurant right by the bathroom. When it exploded, the woman suddenly found herself imprisoned by a wall of flames.
“We had someone die in this fire, unfortunately and sadly. it is the first death this year that we can attribute to a lithium-ion battery fire,” said FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker.
Eventually, the 76-year-old was able to squeeze out of the bathroom, but she could not escape the restaurant.
The two-alarm tragedy happened Friday afternoon. By Tuesday, fire marshals announced the cause and could not stress enough the importance of keeping e-bikes outside, and away from any exit.
“The problem persists here. This has not gone away,” Flynn said. “We’ve had 122 battery fires so far this year, similar to the number we had last year, but it’s actually a little bit higher.”
The victim’s family told Eyewitness News she had two sons, four grandchildren and was well loved.
It is one thing to lose an elder to old age, but the fact that she suffered until her last breath has devastated the family. They now have retained a lawyer.
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