Fire in Okinawa dealership due to short circuit in building: Company

A day after its dealership in Tamil Nadu burnt down to ashes on Sunday, electric two-wheeler manufacturer Okinawa Autotech Monday said that the fire was due to an electric short-circuit in the building.

According to news agency IANS, the company said that no EV scooter or battery fire started the incident. "The fire was due to an electric short-circuit in the panel wiring in the building. The dealership has also confirmed the same," the company said.

No casualties were reported and the fire was put out with the help of locals but the entire showroom was gutted. On April 16, a day before the fire incident, Okinawa recalled 3,215 units of its `Praise Pro` scooters.

READ | Man fishing from window with drone amid lockdown in Shanghai, watch viral video

While recalling `Praise Pro` e-scooters, Okinawa Autotech had said that this voluntary campaign is "in the wake of the recent thermal incident and in line with the company`s long-standing commitment to customer safety".

According to the company, the recall has been initiated to fix "any issue" related to batteries. "The batteries will be checked for loose connectors or any damage and be repaired free of charge at any of the Okinawa authorised dealerships pan India," the company said.

On March 26, a father-daughter duo died due to a blast in the battery of their Okinawa scooter which was being charged at their home.

Late last month, a blue-coloured Ola S1 Pro e-scooter that was parked on the side of the road in Pune caught fire. The scooter burst into flames which soon engulfed the entire vehicle.

Several electric two-wheelers belonging to Jitendra Electric Vehicles caught fire in Nashik on April 9. The government has called technical teams of Ola Electric and Okinawa Scooter for an explanation of recent fires in their EVs.

(With IANS inputs)

READ | LIC IPO: Government amends FEMA rules to allow 20% FDI in LIC