In a devastating incident on New Year’s Day 2023, a 21-year-old woman lost her life in a house fire sparked by an e-bike blaze. Sofia Duarte, described by her family as adventurous, perished in the flames and smoke that engulfed a property on Old Kent Road in Southwark.

The findings of an inquest into Sofia’s untimely death, held at London Inner South Coroner’s Court on Monday, February 26, revealed harrowing details of the tragedy. According to testimony from the London Fire Brigade, the fire erupted shortly before 5pm, sending shockwaves through the building, which housed a ground-floor shop and multiple residences on the upper floors.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud explosion around 4:50 pm, signalling the outbreak of the fire. Firefighters rushed to the scene, encountering a rapidly spreading blaze at the bottom of the staircase between the ground and first floors. Despite efforts to contain the inferno, the fire quickly escalated, prompting the evacuation of occupants through windows as thick smoke filled the building.

Sofia, along with her boyfriend Luis, had been asleep after a night shift at a nightclub when the fire broke out. Luis recounted the terrifying ordeal, describing the intense heat and acrid smell that greeted him as he opened the door, prompting him to leap to safety from a window, believing Sofia was following him. Tragically, Sofia became disoriented in the smoke-filled environment and was unable to escape.

Rescue efforts were thwarted by the ferocity of the fire, and Sofia’s lifeless body was discovered by firefighters in a corridor. Despite their best efforts, she was declared dead at 5:37 pm, succumbing to burns and smoke inhalation.

The investigation into the cause of the fire pointed to an e-bike charging in the entrance hall as the ignition source. The bike, retrofitted with an unbranded lithium-ion battery pack, had become engulfed in flames, leading to a catastrophic explosion. However, the exact reason for the battery failure remains unclear, with possibilities including overcharging, rapid charging, or inherent battery faults.

Sofia’s grieving family, devastated by their loss, implored the coroner to issue a prevention of future death report to avert similar tragedies. They emphasized the need for stricter regulations governing the storage and charging of e-bikes to prevent further loss of life. Despite their impassioned plea, the coroner deemed Sofia’s death accidental, citing insufficient evidence to warrant the requested report.

In response to the tragedy, Sofia’s family launched a petition urging lawmakers to enact stricter regulations concerning e-bikes, advocating for enhanced quality control measures and improved safety guidelines for battery handling and storage.

As Sofia’s loved ones grapple with their profound loss, their advocacy serves as a beacon of hope, striving to ensure that no one else suffers a fate similar to Sofia’s tragic demise.