Mangalore: Another Okinawa Electric Scooter Store Burnt To Ashes Due To 'Short-Circuit'

A showroom in Mangalore was reduced to flames after a fire mishap. A day after videos of a Tata Nexon EV catching fire in Mumbai surfaced, a fire broke out in an Okinawa showroom.

Several electric scooters were destroyed after a fire accident in Mangalore on Friday. Electric two-wheeler maker Okinawa Auto Tech claims the fire incident at its showroom in Mangalore was due to an electric “short circuit.”

In March this year, Okinawa Autotech’s EV caught fire in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore. The accident claimed the lives of two people, including a 13-year-old girl.

After the mishap, Niti Aayog call for a voluntary recall of scooters related to fire incidents. Okinawa Autotech recalled 3,215 units of its Praise Pro Scooters in April to fix battery-related issues.

“We are aware of an unfortunate fire incident at one of our showrooms in Mangalore this morning. As stated by the dealer, the fire was caused by an electric short circuit, Okinawa Autotech said in a statement on Friday.

“We are in touch with the dealership and extending all the necessary support,” the company said. “Safety is at the core of Okinawa Autotech, and we want to assure you that the highest standards of safety are maintained in our dealerships across the country,” it added.

The government subsequently ordered an independent probe into the incident, which the company is also investigating.

This is the second such incident occurring at the Gurugram-headquartered EV maker’s showroom in the recent past, as earlier this year, one of its outlets in Tamil Nadu was engulfed in flames.

At that time, the company had clarified that the fire was due to a short circuit.

Besides Okinawa and Tata Motors, incidents of fire in the EVs of other manufacturers such as Ola Electric and PureEV have also occurred recently.

Following multiple incidents of electric vehicles (EVs) catching fire and resulting in death and severe injuries to people earlier this year, the government set up an expert panel to investigate these incidents and make recommendations on remedial steps.

The panel is expected to submit its report by this month-end. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, on April 21, also assured that any company found to be negligent would be penalized.

(With PTI inputs)

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