Electric scooter battery explodes while charging at home killing man

 

By Sagaya Fernando | May 13, 2026

Bengaluru, Karnataka, INDIA: In a tragic incident, a 65-year-old man lost his life after the battery of an electric scooter allegedly exploded while charging inside his residence in Bengaluru's Murphy Town area of Halasuru (Ulsoor) during the early hours of Tuesday May 12.

The deceased has been identified as Lourdes Nadan, also known as Luthnathan, a former auto-rickshaw driver who had reportedly stopped working due to health issues.

According to police, the electric scooter, an Okinawa electric scooter belonging to his elder son, Frank Anthony, was plugged in for charging around 11 p.m. on Monday night. After connecting the vehicle to the charger, the family went to sleep.

Nadan was resting alone in the small hall on the ground floor of their rented two-storeyed house, where the scooter had been parked just two to three feet away from him. Meanwhile, his son Frank Anthony, 36, an app-based cab driver, and his daughter-in-law were sleeping in a room on the upper floor attached to the terrace.

At approximately 3 a.m., after the scooter had been charging for more than four hours, the battery allegedly overheated and exploded, triggering a fire that rapidly spread through the room.

Investigators said Nadan had reportedly switched off the charger after three to four hours, but the battery exploded shortly thereafter. The exact sequence of events and the precise cause of the blast are still under investigation.

The loud explosion awakened Frank Anthony and his wife, who rushed downstairs to find Nadan engulfed in flames. With the assistance of neighbours, they managed to extinguish the fire and immediately shifted him to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital.

However, doctors at the hospital declared him dead on arrival.

The fire also caused significant damage to household items, including a sofa set, television, and several plastic chairs.

Based on the complaint lodged by Frank Anthony, the Halasuru Police Station registered an Unnatural Death Report (UDR) under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

Police suspect that prolonged charging may have caused the battery to overheat, leading to the explosion. However, officials said a detailed investigation is underway to determine whether there was a technical fault in the battery or charging system.