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Scooter battery blamed for apartment fire that killed mother and son

Published: 28 Aug. 2025, 21:46

Fire authorities are dispatched to the scene of a fire at an apartment in Mandeok-dong, Buk District, Busan on July 13. [BUSAN FIRE HEADQUARTERS]

A deadly apartment fire in Busan last month that killed a mother and her eldest son, and severely injured the younger son, was sparked by the battery pack of an electric scooter, police said Thursday.

The June 13 fire in an apartment in Mandeok-dong, Buk District, Busan, began due to an electrical issue in the battery pack, based on findings from the National Forensic Service (NFS), according to the Bukbu Police Precinct in Busan on Thursday.

The battery had been disconnected from its charger and fully charged when it caught fire while stored near the apartment’s entrance.

Authorities were unable to determine what caused the battery to ignite.

The lithium-ion battery in question is a type of rechargeable secondary cell widely used in devices such as electric scooters and EVs.

The fire killed the residents’ mother, in her 80s, and her eldest son, in his 50s. The younger son, also in his 50s, was rescued using a ladder but suffered serious injuries.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]