A 21-year-old Pakistani university student in Australia, Haider Ali, tragically lost his life after an e-bike battery exploded, sparking a fire in a three-bedroom sharehouse in Guildford, western Sydney.
The fire broke out just before 5 am on Tuesday, trapping Ali in his locked bedroom. Firefighters managed to rescue him from the blaze, but he could not be revived.
Five other residents in the house escaped the fire and were treated for smoke inhalation.
Ali, a civil and construction engineering student, had moved to Australia 18 months ago from Pakistan. He was the eldest of three siblings and had no relatives in the country.
NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry revealed that the house, shared by ten occupants, lacked smoke alarms. The e-bike, believed to belong to Ali and used for Uber Eats deliveries, was found outside the residence.
Investigators believe the lithium-ion battery, which was charging in Ali’s bedroom, caused the fire. “The battery has definitely been exposed to fire and gone into thermal runaway, as there has been some detonation from it … you can see where the battery has failed,” Dewberry said.
He added that lithium-ion batteries not only cause fires but also intensify the spread due to extreme toxic smoke.
Firefighters were able to contain the fire to a single bedroom upon their arrival.
Neighbor Colleen Elcham recalled hearing firefighters urgently calling for paramedics as they entered Ali’s bedroom.
Superintendent Dewberry stressed the importance of smoke alarms, stating, “It’s a rental property, and it’s unfortunate that there’s no working smoke alarms. If they were fitted, we could have been talking about a very different situation.”
Police have established a crime scene at the house and seized the e-bike for forensic examination.
Fire and Rescue NSW Assistant Commissioner Michael Morris urged the public to take precautions when charging lithium-ion batteries, particularly at night.
“We need people to understand not to charge lithium-ion batteries while they’re sleeping and to ensure they’re not placed in exit pathways,” he said.
Morris also emphasized the importance of working smoke alarms, which provide the earliest warning in case of emergencies.
