Mother’s anguish after daughter, 21, died in flat fire caused by faulty
e-bike battery

‘It feels like a nightmare and I can’t wake up’, said Maria Frasquilho
Macarro following the death of her only daughter

28 March 2023

A mother has spoken of her anguish after her 21-year-old daughter died when
an e-bike battery burst into flames at her London flat, blocking her
escape.

Former model Sofia Duarte lost her life when the blaze broke out in the
entrance hall of her home on Old Kent Road, South Bermondsey, in the
afternoon of New Year’s Day.

Her mother has now told of her grief, saying: “It feels like a nightmare
and I can’t wake up.”

Fire investigators believe the flat fire was sparked by a bicycle that had
been converted into an e-bike.

Its lithium battery pack it thought to have failed “catastrophically”,
bursting into flames in the entrance to the property and preventing Miss
Duarte from getting out.

Footage captured at the scene showed two fireballs exploding from a
third-floor window as passers-by screamed for help below and tried to smash
down the front door.

Miss Duarte’s mother, Maria Frasquilho Macarro, says her world fell apart
the moment she learned her only daughter had died.

“Sofia loved life, she loved to party and she enjoyed her job working
behind the bar at a nightclub,” she said. “Now all I have left is my
daughter’s ashes.

“Sofia meant the world to me and my family. I don’t know how to live
without her. It feels like a nightmare and I can’t wake up.”

Ms Macarro, who is originally from Portugal and brought up her daughter in
west London, is now warning people to take care with e-bikes and
e-scooters, and to never block fire escape routes.

“I really want to make sure [Sofia’s] death is not in vain,” she said.

“If I can raise awareness about the dangers of e-bikes and lithium
batteries then there will be a positive in this. If we can save someone
else’s life, I will take great comfort in that because at the moment I am
hurting - I don’t want others to suffer as much as I have done.”

Fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters are on the rise in the capital.

So far this year London Fire Brigade (LFB) has been called to one such fire
once every two days on average – a 60 per cent increase compared to the
same period as last year.

The brigade has now launched a #ChargeSafe campaign, to inform people about
the dangers of charging, storing and modifying the vehicles and their
batteries.

Conversion kits allow people to add an electric motor to their bikes, but
not all of them are sold with a battery.

LFB warns that some batteries such as cheaper ones purchased from online
sources don’t necessarily adhere to UK safety regulations, and are more
likely to fail and cause fires.

LFB’s Deputy Commissioner, Dom Ellis, said: “Sofia’s death is a tragedy,
and our condolences are with her family and friends,” he said. “We are
working hard to prevent these types of incidents in the future.

“E-bikes and e-scooters are becoming more common in London and the risk of
significant fires is rising too. We want people to travel safely and be
aware of the risks that the batteries present as part of our #ChargeSafe
campaign.

“Protect yourself and your loved ones by following our #ChargeSafe tips and
by using our Home Fire Safety Checker.

“Never block your escape route with anything, including e-bikes and
e-scooters. The only way to be sure of a legal, safe and reliable e-bike is
to buy one in complete form, from a trusted and reputed retailer.

“The number of incidents our fire crews are attending shows that buying a
product from a reputable seller will help protect you, your family and
property from bursting into flames - not forgetting the peace of mind it
can give.”

<https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-fire-brigade-electric-e-scooter-bike-sofia-duarte-death-old-kent-road-b1070222.html>

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