Arrest Warrant Issued for Person Responsible for E-Bike Battery Fire That Killed Five

What’s new: A local procuratorate in Beijing has issued an arrest warrant for a person who is allegedly accountable for a fire caused by the explosion of an e-bike battery that killed five.

The person, surnamed Zhang, is accused of the crime of negligently setting fire that endangered public safety (失火罪), according to a Sunday statement (link in Chinese) from the procuratorate of Beijing’s Tongzhou district.

The context: The fire occurred on Sept. 20 in an apartment in Tongzhou district due to the explosion of a lithium battery Zhang was charging in their apartment, according to (link in Chinese) Beijing’s fire and rescue bureau. The fire burned the apartment above Zhang’s and killed five.

The government has banned (link in Chinese) people from charging electric-bicycle batteries or parking e-bikes in certain areas of apartment buildings to prevent lethal fires caused by exploding batteries.

Related: Fatal E-Bike Explosion Highlights Lack of Safe Charging Options

Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use.

Contact reporter Guo Yingzhe (yingzheguo@caixin.com)

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